Chapter 13 - Tiger

As we headed further in, the forest had gone deathly silent, as if the trees themselves were trying to stay as quiet as possible. The only sound I heard was the crackling of a fire coming from the distance, its glow visible as a faint, golden light. It was just a flickering light, sometimes flashing between the dense thicket surrounding us. There we were, hidden among the knotty, thick roots and the dark underbrush, crouching low, our breaths as low and as noiseless as we could force them to be. All three of our bodies were tensed, ready for action as we were sneaking into the beast-folk's campsite. They built it from crude planks and logs, the latter fencing them off from the forest, their sharpened ends jutting out from the ground like the broken teeth of a buried monster. Beyond their hastily built barricades, I could see shadows cross by the fire, shuffling around. For now, I didn't know what type they were, but it didn't matter... they were about to be killed, at least, that was the plan.

"Okay..." Cravik exhaled slowly, his voice barely a whisper next to my ears. "We do this as swiftly as we can and stay quiet. Stick to the plan. Got it?"

"Sure," Jared smirked, his eyes glinting nefariously in the dark as he twirled a dagger between his fingers. "Fast and quiet. Not my first rodeo."

"Understood, Boss." Dren cracked his knuckles, the sound like the snapping of dry twigs making me flinch as I nudged him. The last thing we needed was for him to give us away with such foolishness! His massive frame shifted, realizing his mistakes, smiling sheepishly, "Sorry. But they ought to discover us after a few kills... Then we just hit 'em hard and be done with it."

"Dren..." Cravik shot him a glare, his voice restrained, having a bit of edge to it. "Stick. To. The. Plan."

There was no time for an argument anyway, so he nodded without making any more noise. Then, with a wave of Cravik's hand, we moved, slipping between the trees like shadows within shadows. I kept my breathing even to the best of my abilities, letting the instinctive training of my younger version guide me. To my own surprise, my steps remained light and soundless, placing them at the exact spots Cravik did, following him like a cat would walk in another's trail. It was like that when we reached the wall, pressing against the rough wood, and I could already tell that this would be easier than expected.

Or so I thought until I glanced inside.

Jared scaled the walls first, his body pulling itself up quickly, disappearing at the other side. It only took him a heartbeat, and he was over, landing with barely any noise. Dren followed suit, his upper body strength pulling him up with ease, making the climb look effortless. Cravik went next, and he, too, almost hopped the two-meter-tall log wall over without issue. Finally, it was my turn. Glancing at it, my fingers gripped the rough bark, splinters digging into my palms as I hoisted myself up. I should have worn a glove... Ignoring the feeling, my body moved as though it had done this before—because, in a way, it had.

Dropping down into the camp, I landed silently, crouched low between two tattered tents. Then... the smell hit me first. Ugh. It was sweat, dirt, and something rotten, like spoiled meat, left too long in the sun. Fuck. Were all of the beast-folk filthy creatures, or was it just these savages? That was a question for the future because the air was also thick with the stench of unwashed fur and blood, reminding me of why we were here.

Following the plan, we spread out, staying in the shadows as best as we could. Jared was already moving toward his first target. His dagger flashed, holding and aiming it in a way that the campfire's light, in the middle of the encampment, wouldn't reflect off of it as he slit the throat of a wolf-folk standing near a stack of crates. The half-human's eyes widened for a moment, a gurgling sound escaping its throat as Jared caught the body before it could fall, lowering it gently to the ground, already heading for his next kill. I swallowed, nodding to myself. Okay, Auriel, keep your cool. This was working. We could do this.

Then, it all went to shit.

Nature is a hell of a jokester because a gust of wind rolled through the camp. It was a slight shift, so meaningless in any other circumstance. I would have ignored it if I had not seen Cravik flinch. Yeah... It was not unimportant... Not here. Not now.

The moment that bastardly breeze passed us, a low growl rumbled through the camp. It was deep and resonant, reverberating my insides like the sound of bass coming from an industrial speaker. My entire body went still, knowing that they had smelled the blood. And that I heard that kind of low roar... in a zoo.

A tiger. I knew because I watched him appear, already looking directly at Cravik and me.

This one stood taller than any man I had seen in both of my lives, his frame rippling with muscle. On his arms and legs, there was a thick, orange, and black fur, unable to hide the tone of his muscles. His eyes, atop his mixed human-looking yet furred head, were almost glowing as he locked onto us. His nostrils flared as he inhaled deeply, growling once more, showing a savage grin, raising an arm, pointing at us.

"Humans…" he rumbled, his voice coming between two guttural growls that sent a shiver down my spine. "I smell you. And I see you. Time to die!"

A second later, he roared once more, but this time, he gave it his all. It was a deafening, primal sound that shattered every other noise... And then all hell broke loose. Beast-folk scrambled awake from their makeshift tents, their claws unsheathing or their weapons drawn, whichever they were more used to handle. We had lost the element of surprise—big time.

"Fuck it!" Cravik snapped, pulling a small potion from his belt and popping the cork with one hand while the tiger was still roaring. He downed it in a single motion, and I saw his veins bulging the moment the liquid rolled down his throat. Jared and Dren followed suit, their bodies already glowing from the same potions' effects. Cravik didn't even turn to me, tossing a fourth in my direction.

"Drink. Now."

I didn't hesitate. How could I? The moment the liquid hit my tongue, I felt it. Stronger than before.

This time, the rush, this elemental surge, a fire that burned through my veins, was like nothing I had ever felt before. My pulse drummed deep within in my ears as my vision sharpened, and all the colors in the night became painfully vivid, making me squint. Every sound coming towards me was crystal clear. I could hear and count all the shuffling the others were making, the sharp hiss of a panicked beast-folk, the tearing of fabric as someone hurriedly clawed his way out from being entangled in his sleeping bag. Everything was going on at once, in a slow motion, and in that instant...

I felt unstoppable.

Dren and Jared were already moving, only a blur, cutting through the camp. Dren grabbed an axe that was left next to the chopped firewood, and he cleaved through flesh and bone alike as he swung it. He was like a whirlwind, dicing up anybody who was at arm's reach. A boar-folk charged him on all fours, his tusks having nails sticking through them, but Dren simply sidestepped and brought his axe down in a vicious arc, splitting the beast's skull with a sickening crunch, spraying grey matter in every direction. At the same time, Jared slipped between his opponents, his daggers flashing once or twice before disappearing in his hand. He was like a shifty magician. Another wolf-folk lunged at him, only to have its throat opened the same way his compatriot, ending up in a spray of crimson shower, falling face first into the campfire. Then, Jared spun, his movements perfectly countering as another beast-folk tried to claw at him, yet he just fell to Jared's blades.

But I did not have much time to watch, as their chief was already upon us.

He was fast—faster than any human, and I felt it, even as enhanced as we were at that moment. His claws came for my throat, signaling me out as the easier target, I guess. But I was expecting it, my body already moving, dodging, bringing up my sword to parry. The impact shook me down to my bones, the force behind his strike sending a jolt of pain through my arms, but I held firm. I had to. Cravik, at the same time, went low, his own sword slicing toward the tiger's ribs, but the beast twisted like a snake, catching the attack on his forearm. The blade, with the force behind Cravik's enhanced attack, bit deeply, but the tiger barely flinched.

No. He grinned, his fangs glistening with saliva.

"Good," he thundered. "You'll make this interesting."

Then he attacked again.

He was relentless. A machine. Every movement was raw, powerful, and terrifyingly fast. His claws slashed toward my gut next. This time, I was the one who twisted, barely escaping, the tips grazing my clothes and leaving deep gouges in the leather, drawing a thin line of blood under it. Seeing my 'escape,' he lunged for Cravik next. Unlike me, he blocked, redirecting his clawed hands, retaliating with a flurry of strikes that, for the first time, forced the beast back. But the tiger was indeed savage. He decided to literally tank Cravik's blades, just so he could regain the position to dictate the battle's tempo and put him on the back foot.

I couldn't dally... I joined in to keep pushing the tiger back and bring it down. Somehow.

For every attack we landed, he traded with one of his own. My shoulder burned where his claws had grazed me again, the wound searing like hell as though I was dipped in fire. I saw Cravik take a solid hit to the ribs, the impact sending him stumbling, making him spit out some blood, but he kept fighting like it was nothing, his face grim. Concentrating only on our fight.

I was the same. I could feel the potion coursing through me, heightening everything—my reflexes, my speed, my focus—while it also made me tougher. It was intoxicating. It was terrifying.

But thanks to it, I wasn't losing.

Cravik and I moved together, getting into sync more and more as we pressed the tiger, forcing him to defend from both sides. He was strong, but he wasn't invincible. Finally, getting the upper hand, a mist of blood sprayed as Cravik's blade eventually ran deep into his thigh, impeding his speed. The bastard felt it because he snarled, stumbling back, his movements slowing just enough for me to catch an opening.

I didn't let him recover. It was my moment, and I took it.

With a burst of speed, I closed the gap, my sword flashing toward his exposed throat. His eyes widened in shock, the first flicker of fear breaking through his uncaring, vicious gaze.

"Die already!" I yelled, putting everything behind my attack.

When I got there, my sword cut deep, slicing through his orange fur and underlying flesh with a wet, ripping sound. Something I would not forget for a while. Then, he staggered, choking, clutching his throat as hot, steaming blood spilled between his fingers. He tried to keep it in and push it back into his body, but it was a futile effort. Then... his body swayed, his legs buckling beneath him.

With a final, gurgling breath, he looked at me, holding his throat, eyes burning, memorizing the last image, my visage, before he collapsed for good.

Then... Silence.

For a moment, the campsite stood still around me, my lungs filled with a burning sensation and the smell of death. Then, behind me, the last dying screams of the remaining beast-folk echoed through the camp...

And it was over.

Even then, I just stood there, the blade of my sword dripping blood, my chest heaving, my heart pounding like a war drum. The effects of the potion were already fading, and I felt the world slightly tilting as reality came rushing back, robbing me of the feeling of invincibility. My hands were slick with blood, and I felt some of it flowing from the injuries on my body, making my arms tremble from the strain that I was suddenly very aware of.

"Heh!" Cravik wiped his blade clean on the fur of a fallen tiger-folk, exhaling slowly. Then he grinned, his teeth stained red, his gums still bleeding into his mouth. "Not bad, kid!"

I swallowed, trying to steady my breath and answer him, but my entire body was now shaking, the adrenaline slowly ebbing away, making me dizzy and weak.

But at least... I didn't die.