The Pit

Blood dripped warm on Meera's tongue. The rabbit twitched at her feet. Clean kill. Not like before. Why did she care whether it suffered or not? Must be Bran's influence. Stupid Bran.

She was a killer. Ruthless. Merciless. Lately, she needed to remind herself that more often.She tongued a strip of meat from her fangs. Tasted copper and wild herbs. The prey had been feeding on wintermint.

Mental bonds weighed at her skull. Bran's presence scraped like bark against fur. Mace's familiar weight pressed deeper. The dragons hummed at the edges. Their minds sounded like storm-wind and smoke. Too many minds. Too crowded. Her head throbbed.

The forest had been her escape once. Her territory. Now even here she felt them all. Watching. Waiting. Judging. Bran hadn't figured out how to control the connection properly yet. Stupid Bran.

Pine needles crackled left. Meera's muscles coiled. She caught fox-scent on the wind. Sweet and sharp. Mixed with old blood.

She spun. Red-orange fur flashed below eye level. Eight silver-tipped tails fanned through shadow.

"Still sloppy." Sila's voice cut colder than winter wind.

The small fox-kin flowed into half-form. Bones cracked into human form and fur rippled into bare skin. Eight tails flowed from the nude body. Even the shift looked graceful on her. Delicate. Deadly. In both fox form and half form, Sila was dwarfed under Meera's wolf form. Foxes were always smaller. But her presence filled the clearing.

Meera's own shift ripped through her. Bones snapped. Fur retreated. Her joints ground as she matched Sila's form. Now they were the same height. "Here to kill me?"

"If I wanted you dead..." Sila's claws traced silver arcs through air. Precise. Certain. "Your corpse would be cooling."

"The Monarch's pet fox." Meera's voice came rough. Her throat still held rabbit-blood warmth. "Here with his regards?"

"Not his pet. Not anymore." Sila's ears flicked back. Her eighth tail - mark of a new evolution - twitched like a dying snake. Meera remembered her having only six last time. "He's changed, Meera. This newborn Beast King's emergence broke something in him."

Pine sap popped in the cooling air. A night bird called. Died silent.

"He burns his own villages now." Sila's voice dropped lower. "Tortures anyone connected to rogue packs. Scared of rebellions" Her steps brought her closer. Even her silence held deadly grace. "Like your old pack. Like Anisa."

The name hit like a blade between ribs. Meera's feet dug earth. Found stone. "My sister is dead."

"No." Sila's ancient eyes locked on hers. "She's in his dungeons. Two moons until her execution. If the torture doesn't kill her first."

Red filled Meera's vision. Her lunge carried them both. Her hand wrapped Sila's throat. Slammed her against rough bark. The fox-kin's feet dangled. Still Sila moved like water. No resistance. Just the elegant arch of her neck in Meera's grip. Almost sensual.

"You watched them break her?" Meera's words came animal-raw.

"I did what was needed." Sila's fingers ghosted up Meera's arm. Light as falling leaves. "Like you used to."

The bonds yanked Meera's mind. Bran's concern spiked sharp. He tried to reach out. Ask if she was okay. Mace's fear tasted bitter. Dragon-power crackled like storm-front pressure. Meera pushed them away. She didn't want Bran seeing this side of her. Weak. Anisa's screams echoed through memory.

Her grip tightened. "I could end you."

Sila hung motionless. Those eyes watched. With their perfect outer black arc. Tapered off at the end. Like natural makeup. Eight deadly tails still as death.

Memory sat between them. Between their silence. Night hunts together. Kovira's laugh around cook-fires. Three young killers, before rank and power carved them apart. Meera's hand trembled. Released. She was no better than her old friend.

"Kovira's dead." The words crowded in Meera's throat. Didn't want to escape. "Killed in the tunnels below town. I killed her."

One fox-ear flattened. A tail-tip twitched. Sila's only tells. "Did you bury her?"

No response.

"Humans know about the Fox-kin settlements east of here." Meera's voice scraped raw. "Three hunting parties. Dawn."

"Why warn me?"

"We were friends once."

Sila's grooming gestures came precise. Delicate. "You can still make it out of this Meera. Tell me where the newborn Beast King is. Maybe we can trade him in for your sister. I don't know why you tethered to him but he's no match for the Monarch of Prey. I'll be waiting in the settlements. Choose quickly."

"You're not leaving the settlement? I just told you the humans-"

"I won't abandon my home Meera. You shouldn't either."

Home. Where was that for Meera? The wild lands where her pack died? Or here, among their killers? Meera didn't even hear the movement. Just disturbed shadow where Sila had stood. Pine needles settled. Night birds resumed their calls.

---

The wagon reeked of terror. Young Meera pressed against splintered wood. Felt other cubs shivering in darkness. Some whimpered. Some had gone silent hours ago. Iron bands circled the planks. Human-forged. Stolen. Like everything the Beast King claimed.

Light stabbed through cracks. The door crashed open.

"Out!" Massive hands grabbed scruffs. Cubs flew into blinding sun.

Meera hit dirt hard. Dust filled her nose. Her eyes adjusted. Found high stone walls. Training yards spread before her. Blood stained packed earth. Older cubs sparred with real steel in the half form. Screams cut morning air.

Something small crashed beside her. A fox-kin cub. Red fur caught sunlight. Three tails - rare for one so young - fanned behind her. The fox-kin spat dirt. Grinned fierce.

"Hey, you're that wolf from the wildlands everyone was talking about. Is it true you bit your alpha?"

Meera growled. She didn't know how that rumour had started. It had been an accident. But there was no stopping it now. Maybe it was good for people to fear her a little. "Hmph. I might decide to bite you too."

The little fox burst out laughing. "I'm Kovira. And I accept your challenge." Her words carried eastern forest accent. Wild. Proud. " Those two over there are friends I made on the way. "

Two more cubs landed near them. Another fox-kin. This one made Meera's breath catch. Five tails moved like silk on wind. Impossible. Not at their age. The fox-kin's eyes met hers. Measured. Weighed. "Sila." Voice soft as shadow.

Last came wolf-kin. Same age but bigger. Dense autumn-colored fur. Moved like a killer even sprawled in dust. "Petra." She helped Kovira up. Young muscles promised future power. Meera was from a small territory. She had never seen such strong cubs.

A trainer watched them. Six-tailed fox-kin. Scars mapped her fur. Those tails marked blood-earned rank. Like Sila's five. Meera wondered who she had to kill to earn them at such a young age.

"Follow." The command cracked like a whip.

They passed regular yards. Passed common barracks. Deeper. Where real training happened.

The grounds spread through forest like roots. Sila's five tails swayed ahead. At first blood-scent, she shivered. "I hate this place."

Petra's ears pricked. "You've been here before?"

Sila's eyes went distant. Five tails drew tight. She pushed forward. Voice hard as stone. "Human fort once. Beast King took it three summers back. Forest's eating it now."

Meera breathed deep. Tasted blood. Sweat. Power. New trees had shattered stone foundations. Rope bridges stretched overhead. Hide tents hung in highest branches.

"Look." Kovira nodded left.

Cubs drilled in a clearing. Beast-form to half-form and back. Their trainer's claws opened flesh when they failed. Blood painted leaves red.

"Speed keeps you alive." Sila's voice held old pain. "Humans won't wait while you shift."

They passed another circle. Cubs in half-form mimicked human gestures. Human faces. A trainer's eyes missed nothing.

"Learn their ways." Sila's words fell soft. "Best way to kill them."

Kovira's three tails bristled. "That how you earned your fifth tail? Killing humans?"

Sila's step faltered. Just one heartbeat. She pointed to one end of the camp. A crowd had gathered. "There. That's where I got it."

The group slipped passed their tour guide and headed to the crowd's direction.

The crowd pressed tight as a pack in winter. Meera fought for space between larger bodies. Caught glimpses of the others doing the same. Kovira slipped through gaps like water. Petra shouldered past two bear-kin cubs. Sila seemed to vanish and reappear between heartbeats.

"Here." Petra's voice. She'd found a gap between two massive tree roots.

They squeezed through. The roots formed a natural viewing platform above the crowd. Below them, a perfect circle had been carved into earth and stone. Twenty feet deep. Walls smooth with wet mud.

"The pit." Sila's voice shook. Just slightly.

Two cubs circled each other on blood-dark sand. A wolf-kin missing half an ear. A bear-kin with fresh scars across his muzzle. Both already bleeding.

"They're exhausted," Kovira whispered.

Meera saw it too. Trembling muscles. Heavy breathing. They'd been fighting for hours.

"Good." Sila's five tails curled tight. "Means it's almost over."

The bear-kin lunged. Caught the wolf-kin's shoulder in massive jaws. Bone cracked.

Kovira flinched. Pressed against Meera's side.

The wolf-kin didn't scream. Twisted instead. Teeth found the bear-kin's throat.

"Please." The bear-kin's voice bubbled with blood. "I yield-"

"No yielding." A scarred fox-kin trainer watched from the pit's edge. Six tails marking his rank. "Fight or die."

The wolf-kin's eyes went dead. His jaws tightened.

Meera felt Petra's hand find hers. Squeeze hard enough to hurt.

The bear-kin's struggles weakened. Stopped.

The crowd howled victory. Meera watched tears fall from the wolf-kin's eyes. Mix with blood on his muzzle.

"That." Sila's voice was empty. "Is why you don't make friends here."

That night they found a hole to sleep in together. Trainer said they had to earn their quarters. They traded stories. Sila didn't join in but in the morning, Meera woke to find her huddled next to them.

First days carved scars into youthful skin.

Dawn: Form-shifting drills. Muscles screaming. Bones cracking. Again. Again. Until fur and skin blurred together.

Midday: Combat training. Claws raking flesh. Blood matting fur. Sand grinding in wounds.

Night: Collapse. Sleep. Start again.

That first week, laughter still came easy.

"Watch this." Petra demonstrated her latest trick. Shifted mid-leap. Slipped through a bear-kin's grip. Even Sila's lips curved up.

Moonlight filtered through bark walls. Four cubs pressed close. Shared warmth. Shared dreams of survival. Kovira was basically royalty where she was from. Large pack. Both parents group leaders. Petra was from a poor region like Meera. She had fought other cubs to come here. Yet she remained hopeful.

She reminded Meera of a boy from her home. If she'd been a second slower, that stupid boy would have come instead. Bran. Stupid Bran. He wouldn't have lasted a day. He would probably be fighting the trainers about being cruel to recruits. He wasn't alpha material. Not like her.

Sila barely spoke. Never mentioned her background.

Second week killed softness.

"Guard your left." Sila's tails traced through air. "Shift faster. Hit harder."

Kovira's voice had lost its wild edge. "Show me again?"

They drilled in darkness. Found weaknesses. Built defenses. Learned to kill.

Third week painted them red.

Two lynx-kin vanished during night drills. A fox-kin's neck snapped on climbing walls. A wolf-kin bled out after training. No one spoke their names.

"The wagon." Kovira whispered one night. Pressed against Meera's fur. "How many cubs?"

"Don't." Petra's voice cracked. Just once. "Please."

Fourth week stole their voices.

They ate silent. Trained silent. Petra still tried. Forced jokes through bloodied teeth. But her eyes had changed. Something vital torn away. Meera could still see a little Bran in her. In the way she tried to keep the group together. But now she had alot of Sila too. They all did.

That night's silence cut deeper.

Tomorrow was the pit.

Moonlight striped silver across their fur. No one slept. No one spoke. Just pressed closer in their den above blood-soaked ground.

"Meera." Sila's whisper sliced night. "Come."

They crept past Petra and Kovira. Down rough bark to where fights had painted death-patterns on grass.

Sila's five tails twitched. "You're strong. Like I was."

"Was?"

"First time here." Her voice went hollow. "They put me in pit with my brother."

Night air froze in Meera's lungs.

Sila's tails drew tight. Eyes fixed on nothing. "One way out. Strong survive. No exceptions."

Silence stretched. Sharp as blade-edge.

"I won. Fifth tail grew that night" Words fell like stones. "But I was too damaged. Had to return. Try again."

"Why are you telling me this?"

Wet eyes found hers. Young face. Old pain. First time she'd ever seen a real emotion on Sila's face. "I heard the trainers talking. Tomorrow it's you and Petra in the pit."

Meera's heart stopped.

"You have to choose." Sila's voice softened. Almost gentle. "Better to know. Before you step in sand."

---

Meera touched tongue to fangs. Tasted ghost-blood. Sweet. Forever sweet. She was a killer. She reminded herself. But she walked unsure into the stables. Sila's words still rang. You have to choose.

Hana hit her like a falling tree, scattering thought. Small arms wrapped tight around Meera. "You're back!"

Just like Petra used to hug. Before the pit. Before blood.

"Meera." Bran's voice cut into mind. Sharp. Clear. "Need to talk."

She followed him into night air. Wind carried dragon-scent from the stables. "Why didn't you use the bond."

"No." His jaw set hard. "I need to say this properly."

"What, about that night you found me naked beside you?" She grinned teasingly . "You were freezing. I was just keeping you alive. But if you really can't stop thinking about it."

His face reddened. Coughed. "No. It..it isn't that."

He collected himself. "I need to apologize."

The word hit like claw-strike.

"I was wrong." His voice roughened. Scraped raw. "Thought getting the pack away from you would save them. Instead I led them to slaughter."

He raised a hand when she tried to speak. Moonlight caught old scars on his knuckles. "Let me finish. I wanted to save them then. Like I want to save us now." His eyes found hers. Hard as steel. "But I'm starting to understand what it means to be cruel. To make hard choices."

Her throat closed tight. "Why tell me this?"

"Tolk's death changed me. And..." The words came slow. Heavy. "I know you and Kovira were friends. But you had to kill her in the tunnels. To protect us."

The name ripped open old wounds. Fresh blood on memory's teeth.

"I understand now. See why you had to be who you are. And am sorry. Am sorry you always had to deal with it alone." He pulled her into rough embrace. Solid. Real. Her arms dangled to the side. Unsure what to do. He held her tighter. "Whatever comes next, we face it together."

Together.

Together. Petra's voice echoed across years.

---

Sand crunched under Meera's feet. Blood-scent soaked the walls. Old. Fresh. Soon to be fresher.

Petra circled left. Autumn fur rippled over killer's muscle. Both shifted to half-form already. Both knew the dance.

The crowd's roar pressed against stone walls. Hungry. Waiting.

Petra struck first. Claws raked Meera's ribs. Hot blood painted fur. Meera's backhand caught Petra's jaw. Split flesh. Cracked bone.

They broke apart. Circled. Tasted blood on air.

"Come on." Petra spat red. Grinned with stained teeth. Same grin from late-night training. "Show me what you learned."

Meera lunged. Petra caught her arm. Used momentum. Slammed Meera into packed earth. Sand filled her mouth. Grit scraped teeth. She rolled. Felt Petra's knee whisper past spine. She was going to die in the pit. Forgotten. Bran would probably be chosen pack alpha .

Back up. Blood dripped warm down ribs. Petra's eyes gleamed. Unfamiliar. Fierce. She'd pushed them all. Made them stronger. But only Sila had come close to beating her.

Petra charged. Meera's uppercut snapped head back. Follow-up strike cracked ribs. Petra staggered. Recovered. They traded kills in brutal rhythm.

Wrong. All wrong. Petra's defense gaped. Small holes. The kind she'd taught Meera to exploit.

"Fight properly!" Blood sprayed from Meera's snarl.

Petra's smile turned soft. Left side open - just like she always warned about. Obvious trap. Meera took it anyway.

She struck. Petra caught her wrist. Pulled close instead of countering. Their eyes locked. Understanding hit like gut-punch.

Petra wasn't fighting to win.

"No." The word ripped flesh-raw.

Petra swept legs. They crashed down. Petra underneath. Neck exposed. Perfect target.

"It's okay." Blood bubbled past Petra's lips. Eyes held nothing but love. "You'll make a great alpha."

Kovira was crying. Sila's eyes cut through roaring crowd. "Choose."

Meera chose. Fangs found throat. Tore deep. Hot blood flooded her mouth. Sweet. Familiar. Victory howls drowned Petra's last breath. Meera was a killer now.

---

Now Bran walked toward firelight. Had the same stupid smile she hated. Petra's smile. Hana waited bright-eyed. Where pack shared meat and warmth. Like Petra sharing late-night meals. Like Kovira saving choice bits for young ones.

Hana's laughter mixed with dragon-song. The bonds in Meera's mind pulled her toward that warmth. Toward family. New pack.

You are a killer. Why was it so hard to remember? The choice was obvious. Why couldn't she make it?

Two moons until Anisa's execution.

Her sister's scent filled memory. Wild berries. Blood. Always blood.

You have to choose.

Sila's words. Petra's eyes. Kovira's broken body in tunnels. Bran's smile. All demanding answer.

Meera stayed in darkness. Choice weighed heavy as execution blade.