A Kings Legacy

A King's Legacy

Chapter 32: Fears

Flose had been admittedly resting better than he had since the first day he set out on his tiresome little quest for herbs, but as more and more of his consciousness and memories came flooding back to him, the quirky little human soon found himself sitting up with a jolt. He was greeted by quite the unexpected sight.

There was an absolutely massive brown bear sitting cross-legged on the grass, just a few paces before him. The beast's giant hands were resting on his knees, and his eyes were seemingly closed. Flose thought he was going to die then and there, his mind exploding into thoughts of certain death.

`A BEAR of all things?!? Of all the ways to die... Fate certainly tells a dark joke. Maybe he will make it quick? Maybe he won't force himself on me? He would definitely kill me if he did... Maybe... Maybe he won't eat me until after I die? I knew this could happen, but I was so careful it wouldn't... This never would've happened if I hadn't gotten sick!'

His doomed train of thought finally squealed to a stop as the human realized something... He wasn't sick anymore, or at least, he didn't feel sick anymore. He took a deep breath in, held it, and exhaled without any difficulty at all... The sticky lung was gone... His marveling was cut short as an extremely gruff voice spoke out to him, making him jump, despite Sir Corper trying to be as gentle as possible.

"How are you feeling?" Flose sat up a little, moving to sit on his knees. After drawing himself in some, he placed his hands on his lap, and looked down at them nervously, focusing on simply not crying, and barely managing even that. All the courage little Flose could spare was still no match for his trembling hands in the presence of that monstrous bear, no matter how tightly he clenched them together. Sir Corper opened his eyes, and peered down at the shaking human that wouldn't even look back up at him, let alone answer him. As usual, the bear understood. He spoke once more, his patience vast that morning.

"I'll take that as your fine, physically at least. I am glad to see it, you were in pretty poor shape when my student found you. May I ask your name?" Flose tightened his hands even more, despite him not believing it possible. The bear was fishing for information, something they had warned would happen if the beastmen ever found you. That was the only logical reason they would heal him, after all, they couldn't question the dead... as far as Flose knew anyway. The human finally answered, still staring down at his fists as he squeaked out a short reply.

"Solis..." Sir Corper may not have recognized the name given, but he was quick to call out the lie.

"Odd. The sketchbook in your bag had the name `Flose Le'gere,' written on the cover. Shame that isn't you, he seems quite the talented artist..." Flose was trying even harder not to cry now after overlooking something so foolish. He was allowed a moment to try and get himself under control before he warily croaked out his next words in a hoarse whisper.

"I'm sorry..." Sir Corper responded calmly.

"It is alright. I apologize for going through your belongings, but one can never be too careful when meeting a new face, something I'm almost certain you would agree with me on. However... It wouldn't be truthful of me to call this our first meeting." Flose was cracking from the sheer weight behind those words, his trembling shifting to downright shakes as his eyes misted uncontrollably. Sir Corper took notice, and knew this human was seconds from probably pissing himself in fear at the rate they were going. He spoke a bit commandingly, knowing the human was far too afraid to even hear what he was trying to tell him.

"Look at me." Flose jumped once more, startled by the sound of the bear's tone. As the human finally raised his head, he couldn't hold back his frightened tears any longer. They streamed down his cheeks freely as he locked eyes with the terrifying beast. Flose was doing everything in his power just to keep from whimpering, bawling, and begging for his life in that moment. He didn't want to die a coward as well... The bear spoke once more, very slowly, staring the human right in his pleading, green eyes as he did so.

"My name, Is Corper Paxus... and I think you and I need to have a discussion, little bud of Peuforet." Flose felt every bit of blood drain from his face as the bear spoke both his own name, and the nickname Flose's kingdom had once given their prince. The frail boy was suddenly more certain than ever of his impending demise. Fate certainly told a dark joke indeed...

===

"Do you think he's awake by now?" Rust was growing extremely anxious. Oust's discovery had been absolutely mind-blowing in the young fox's eyes, but the bear's reaction had puzzled him. The tiger replied, a bit uncertain himself.

"I hope so... Are you sure you were able to heal him? It's almost been an entire day..." Rust was quick to reassure his newfound friend.

"Definitely. It was a stubborn sickness, for sure, but I know I was able to get it all, he should be fine. He may just still be out of it, considering he was in pretty bad shape." The two sat in silence only made longer by their unanswered questions. Finally, Rust thought he was going to go mad if he didn't say something.

"So... Why do you think he wanted to be alone with the human when he woke up?" in truth, Oust had been wondering the same thing. He answered after a bit of a delay.

"I don't know... But I've never seen him so stunned, not since the first night, when he discovered Aster was the son of General Venatus. Master was as cool and calm as ever at first... But maybe there was something in that book he picked up that unnerved him?" Rust nodded in agreement, noting the change of behavior at that point as well.

"Maybe... I just wish he would've let us be there too... I really want to ask that human a few things." Oust chuckled a little at that, causing Rust to raise an eyebrow his way. The tiger elaborated with the faintest smile hidden on his muzzle.

"I get it... For Aster, right? I do too..." Rust smiled back at the tiger, nodding in agreement.

"Yeah. Aster has been a really awesome addition to my family, but he talked to me about a lot of his past. On rare occasion, he even spoke about the way he felt for being the last of his kind. I think he did well trying to hide it... But..." Oust finished the statement for him.

"He was still just so angry, sad, and lonely about all of it... Underneath his mask of emotion, you can tell it bothers him still. His heart truly hurt for what he could only dream of." Rust was certainly taken aback by those words, and just stared down the tiger for a moment before replying to that.

"Yeah... Though, I didn't really think you understood that, if I'm being honest." Oust found the little fox made him laugh quite often, and that statement held true to this as well. The beast replied with a more visible smile, looking up to the sky above for a moment.

"Aster helped me understand a lot of things about him, and myself in the process. Things I never would've guessed we could have in common, so I understand what this will mean to him. Maybe he won't feel so alone now... Maybe, he won't have to carry so much anger inside anymore. I think it would be fulfilling to return that favor to him." Rust genuinely smiled at Oust's show of empathy, still surprised how far the disgruntled tiger had come under the bear's and the human's influence. A chirping nearby interrupted the pair.

Oust and Rust both turned back to the makeshift cage housing the cardinal in the shade of a nearby tree. It was simply a few sticks stabbed into the earth in a tighter circle with the fox's shirt tied over the top. After Oust explained what had happened with the bird, Corper wanted it caged before Rust healed its wing. The bear didn't want it anywhere near the human when he woke up, not that the fox or the tiger really understood that reasoning. Still, the students had followed the bear's order, but the avian was growing rather impatient as well it seemed. Mercy chirped at the pair in annoyance once again. Oust frowned a bit, sighing as he spoke.

"I really didn't mean to hurt her back there..." Rust blinked twice, looked at the cardinal, and glanced back to the tiger with a puzzled look.

"Wait... Is it a female? Are you certain?" Oust returned the confused look, speaking from his memory.

"Yeah, at least, that's what he yelled back there. `Don't hurt her.' Why do you ask?" Rust pointed back to the bird, and explained what was far above Oust's knowledge.

"Uhh... You see the feathers that poke up on top of its head? Those, the ones on its tail, and a few on the wings should be the only ones that have any reddish color to them, the rest should be almost tan... For a female cardinal anyway. A male has all red feathers with a black mask..." Oust tilted his head a little as he stared at the bird in the shabby cage, examining it closely.

Mercy's feathers were almost entirely a light brown on her left side, aside from the tips of both her crest, and the small spot on her left wing, just as Rust had described a female's pattern... But on her right side, she was completely red, all the way up to the tip of the crest on her head. She had a black mask like a male, but her tail feathers were a heavy mix of both colors. Oust and Rust were soon just silently pondering on the variation for a moment.

Oust didn't know there was any difference at all... A bird was a bird to the beast, worrying about what color its feathers were seemed odd to Oust. Rust was more genuinely curious about never seeing a cardinal that looked like that before. He wasn't sure if it was a male or a female, but apparently, the human had managed to figure out what Rust couldn't somehow. Their thoughts were interrupted as a thwacking sound echoed into the air around them. Sir Corper was sending his verdict at last, and both beasts went silent once more as they mentally counted the timed impacts.

One... Two... Three... Rust spoke hastily a moment later as the sound stopped, leaping to his paws in excitement.

"YES! THREE! WE GET TO GO MEET HIM!" Oust smiled once more as he stood, walking over to the cage. The tiger knelt down, and gently pulled back the shirt from the top of the prison. Oust offered a hand out hopefully to the little creature, finding himself just as fascinated with smaller creatures as he always had been... but Mercy snuffed the offer from the one that had injured her, and instead, chose to bolt right passed him to take to the sky. Oust frowned slightly, and Rust snickered his way. The little fox spoke teasingly.

"Don't worry... You probably just stink is all." Oust furrowed his brow, and threw the crumpled up shirt right at the fox's smug expression, hitting his mark perfectly. Rust could only laugh as it collided with his head, pulling it back over his frame a moment after. The pair set off on the small distance to meet with both the bear, and the boy, eager for their chance to talk to him. The cardinal was soaring above them, merely flying happy circles as she was finally free from her cage to rejoin her companion. All seemed to be working out for the group... But that's only because they weren't aware another beast would be answering the bear's call...

===

It was that same dream again, the same one Aster had been having since the first night in the Thorned Thicket. Darkness... the kind that snatched away everything from you, that would snuff any light that dared to shine there. It was like he was back at his trial, and he was subdued once more. His senses were cut from him as his mind alone existed in a borderless darkness, a blanket of silence and emptiness encompassing, and embracing all. The thought came to him with acceptance now, not even fear after so many times having the same dream. He was dead again...

Even though he couldn't feel anything else, he could still feel that somehow, or sense it at the very least... It was surprisingly nice being dead, if he was being honest with himself. It was the easiest thing he had ever done. No bad news could reach him there. Nothing else could be taken from him there. His body never ached there. People wouldn't hate him there... No spiteful cheers for his demise could ever find him there. Such silence had worried him endlessly back at his trial, but in recent days, Aster had come to enjoy both this dream, and the peace it brought with it.

Sure, it sucked a little knowing he was dead, but that was only a problem for everyone else still alive, and Aster was far too beaten down to even handle his own problems lately, let alone everyone else's. He welcomed the dream now. The boy had begun to welcome death itself... and then, he woke up hurting again.

`I swear by the fucking gods, how can something not even there anymore hurt so damn often?' Aster was mentally cursing first thing that morning. It was his palm cramping harshly today, in addition to the constant stinging, and there was nothing he could do but lie there, and endure the pain. He clutched at his bicep, desperately trying to relieve the sensation to no avail. When the feeling finally faded a little, he had the lightest coat of sweat already on his brow. He opened his eyes at last, and saw his wolf staring down at him with a look laced with pity. It made the boy even angrier in truth. Stahl spoke softly as he knelt down in front of his mate, and placed a larger leaf with two skewered fish on it just before Aster.

"Morning, my love... How are you feeling today?" Aster sat up slowly, mumbling out his answer as he dropped his gaze back to the dirt.

"Like my arm isn't missing at all, it's merely on fire." Stahl held his soft expression despite the pessimistic word choice. It was alright if Aster couldn't shine right now, it just meant he had to shine for him. In truth, the wolf didn't even know what he could say half of the time since his mate had awoken. He was so frightened by the way his human's eyes had been looking as of late, and he didn't mean the golden flecks that were definitely overtaking the remaining brown... Stahl was frightened by the overwhelming sadness, the sadness that occupied all the room in those eyes, leaving no place left for the usual light to shine in its wake. Stahl answered as empathetically as he had been.

"I am sorry to hear it, my love... If you're still hurting that much, would you rather wait a while longer first? We don't have to-" Aster didn't even let him finish, cutting him off coldly.

"No. We move today. I've wasted enough of our time as it is here. I agreed to wait last night for you, but I don't want any further delay for my sake." Stahl stared at his lover for a moment, and then closed his eyes, bowing his head ever so slightly in acceptance of that decision. The beast feared further debate would only coax more of those self-damning words from his mate's lips, so Stahl yielded without further debate. The wolf answered calmly.

"By your order, my king. Will you at least eat your breakfast then? We will both be needing some strength for the trip." Aster cut back deeper than he had intended.

"Why? You still have both of your arms. I'm the one that will be slowing us down." Aster realized how unfair that comment was the moment he said it. He started back up with a sigh, and an apology.

"Stahl... I'm sorry, I-" The wolf held a hand up, dismissing the apology before Aster ever really started it. The beast spoke as warmly as ever, shrugging off the wounding words expertly in that moment.

"A king need not apologize to his guard... It was a hot-headed tiger who taught me that... It was right after he tried to kill my mate in the desert, but still. He had a good point, you know?" Aster blinked, finally looking Stahl in the eyes again. For the first time since waking up with an appendage missing, Aster's attention was truly drawn elsewhere at last. The wolf continued.

"You're allowed to be angry here, Aster. You're allowed to feel sad, and cheated about all of it. You can curse the very gods, and even stomp your feet in a tantrum if that's what you need to do to get through this... You don't have to apologize for anything right now, my love. You just make sure you make it back to me when you're done howling at the moon. If that means you need to sing a sad tune for a little while, then I'll be right here to listen to it, and sing a happier one with you when you've finished... Just promise me, we make it through this as well?"

Aster lowered his eyes again, and stared down at the fish his mate had freshly prepared for him. Stahl was trying so hard, despite Aster's defeated attitude, and the boy could see that... Aster reached his left hand forward, and gently picked up one of the grilled fish skewers. The human answered as he idly stared at his meal.

"Alright... we make it through this, I promise. But Stahl?" The beast answered with a faint smile.

"Yes, my love?" Aster spoke before making himself take a bite, eating some before their hike, just as his mate had asked of him.

"Please don't watch me eat... I can't stand for you to see me struggle like this yet. I just can't shoulder the pity in your gaze right now." Stahl averted his eyes, and turned away as the boy worked at his breakfast, learning how to eat with a single arm. Aster was thankful the skewer made it a little easier, but he felt like a clumsy toddler most of the time. Still, that was certainly easier for the boy to bear than ever letting the wolf feed him in that moment. He would still manage at least that much by himself.

Stahl wasn't certain that the pity in his gaze was something he could easily hide at this point, but he would try... By the gods, he would try anything that could possibly help to bring light back to those gold-flecked eyes once more.

The beast cast his glance at the smaller mountain before them, making some final judgements before their departure. If they made steady progress, the wolf assumed they should make it over the peak by mid-afternoon. However, Stahl was well aware they wouldn't be making steady progress at all. In truth, it was a miracle they even reached it before nightfall.

===

Flose felt a lot better than he had before, (Thanks to the bear finally convincing him he was not an enemy,) but the boy was still extremely wary of it all. The bear had told him he was going to summon the other two beast's with him, but seeing all three of them a short ways off and deep in conversation was unnerving to the human all the same. The one saving grace to the entire situation chirped at him reassuringly from his shoulder. Flose was never more relieved in his life than when that little bird came soaring into the clearing, just a short while before the other two beasts had followed suit on the ground. Flose turned to answer his feral friend.

"I know. They healed us both, but that doesn't mean they aren't merely trying to get our guard down so we reveal too much. If the bear wasn't scary enough, that tiger certainly looks mean as shit... I wouldn't be surprised if he was really the one in charge here. He probably figured the bear would have better luck..." Mercy pecked apart that answer easily enough, making Flose fluster.

"Yeah... I guess he would've used the fox in that case. He isn't nearly as frightening as the other two are... Still, I just don't want anyone back home to get hurt because I was stupid and got myself captured." The cardinal twittered angrily at the remark, quickly setting the boy straight. Flose let out a huge, defeated sigh, and answered in a whisper.

"I know that! I know a lot of them are already sick, and I know we have to do something, but I don't see how you can be so trusting of these beastmen... especially that damned bear. Their kind took so much from us. We can find another way..." Mercy hopped up and down a few times, berating her human with a more realistic view. Flose actually flinched at the harshness the small avian used there.

"Yikes... No need for the low blows you know? So the daisies are a bust, maybe we can find another plant to substitute them for?" Mercy was about ready to just give up. She turned, chirped angrily, and flew off his shoulder with a flutter. The little cardinal flew right over to the top of a nearby tree, and brooded over it all for a while. Flose let out another sigh, and turned back to the three beasts a short ways away. They were finally walking towards him, the bear in front, the fox and the tiger on either side.

Flose found himself drawing up again, pulling his limbs in close as he once more found himself wanting to simply make a run for it. The boy remained seated instead, working on controlling his nervous and fearful trembling. The three beasts stopped about four paces in front of the human. The two smaller beasts on either side took a seat. Corper began speaking in that calmer tone of his.

"I'm sure all three of you have a million questions, but for now, let's try not to overwhelm anyone. Flose here, our guest, will get to ask the first question. You two answer it as you see fit, and then you may ask him a question in return. Keep in mind he has no obligations to answer you, and please try not to interrupt one another. If something doesn't need to be discussed, I'll move the conversation along." Corper looked towards Flose, and finished his opening.

"My students will ask their own questions, come to their own conclusions based off of your answers, and choose what they want to do going forward on their own terms. My decision is made, it is theirs you will need to sway. The conversation starts with you, boy, speak what you may." Flose swallowed dryly, feeling uneasy about this exchange, regardless of how simple a thing the bear had made it seem. The human slowly raised his gaze, and focused it on Rust. Flose figured the easiest beast to start with would be the least intimidating one. His voice came out exceptionally squeaky, courtesy of his throat aching from all the tears he had shed recently.

"So... You are the one that healed Mercy and I? I should probably start by thanking you for that." Rust smiled happily at Flose while he asked for a little clarification.

"Mercy? Is that the bird's name?" Flose nodded, confirming the hunch. The boy continued.

"Yeah, that's her. I thought she was hurt pretty badly back there... A broken wing doesn't usually heal right on its own, so you spared her ability to fly. Thank you." Rust was beaming, but Oust was feeling more guilty than ever as those words crushed his enthusiasm a little. Rust answered proudly.

"Don't sweat it! Glad I could help. You were in pretty bad shape, and it isn't like we could just leave you like that." Flose answered a bit cautiously.

"Yes, you could have... and I would have surely died if you had. We call it `Sticky Lung,' and its something we don't have the means to fight anymore." Rust was quick to ask.

"We?" Flose looked back to the earth below, and found himself faltering. Sure, the bear already knew, but it still felt like he was serving everything up on a platter for these beasts. It felt like he was betraying everyone... Still the boy answered.

"Yes... We. My settlement has an outbreak righ-" Oust excitedly cut the boy off before he ever finished that statement.

"THERE'S A WHOLE SETTLEMENT OF HUMANS LEFT?!?" Flose cowered away from the tiger's interruption, not wanting to stare into those menacing, red eyes again. Corper corrected his pupil.

"Don't interrupt." Oust realized his mistake, and lightly bowed in apology. Flose never even saw it, he was far too busy averting his eyes. The bear gently coaxed the human on. "Excuse my student, his intentions are good, but his impatience still needs some work. Please, continue." Flose nodded lightly, and picked back up, still casting his gaze elsewhere all the while.

"My village is dealing with an outbreak right now of Sticky Lung, and that's what brought me to this forest in the first place. We can slow the damage with what treatment we do have, but the medicine, and the supply of herbs we use for it have dwindled down to almost nothing. I was doing more research, and stumbled across a tonic that is said to help with bad coughs. The ingredients were common enough, or so I thought, so I set out to try and find some way to offer my people some relief. I've been in this forest for about a week now, and still can't even find the last ingredient I needed." Oust replied more patiently this time, eager to help the little human before him.

"What do you still need?" Flose looked at the tiger for the briefest moment before he turned away, and answered.

"Daisies... little white flowers with an orange center. They tend to be pretty resilient, and like a lot of sunlight. It was written that they were once common in this area this time of year, but I haven't seen a single one since coming here, even with Mercy's help." Flose went to stand, and quickly stopped himself a second later. He didn't want to anger these beasts... Corper chimed in once more.

"What is it?" Flose was quiet for a little before he replied.

"I have a picture I copied from that medicine book in my sketch book. I was going to show you, but I don't know if it matters." The bear simply paced over to the satchel, slipped a hand in, and pulled the book out with two careful claws. He paced back to the human, and held the book out towards him. Corper spoke casually.

"Here. You may show them." Flose slowly reached his shaky hands forward to take the book back, waiting for the trap to spring the entire time he did so. It never came, but the human did manage to flip to the sketch in question easily enough. The boy turned the book around when he located it, and showed the beasts what he meant. A laugh certainly wasn't what Flose was expecting from the tiger of all things... but he berated himself for not expecting as much... People made fun of his hobby often, after all. Flose quickly realized this wasn't the case when the tiger spoke again.

"Sorry, it's just, I can tell you where you'll find a field full of those flowers, we all can." The boy blinked in surprise before he answered that. Flose finally dared to chance peering into those scary, red eyes at the statement. The boy had some kind of hope now, even if the fox wouldn't agree to help him...

"You can?" Oust pointed back east, towards the opposite end of the forest. He remembered to try and not appear so irritated, per his master's advice before they had spoken to the human. He answered as gently as he could manage.

"Yeah, you just keep heading that way. When you reach the other side of the thicket, you just press on for another day or two through the terrain and you'll find a village of orcs, and a humongous cherry tree. There are hundreds of these flowers there." Flose sucked in a shallow breath at the news, but the boy hadn't thrown all caution to the wind yet. He asked to be certain, pointing at the illustration once again.

"And you're sure it's this flower?" Oust smiled a little as he recalled the crown he had crafted as his apology to Milky. He answered assuredly.

"I'm positive it is. As you said, white petals, orange center, and likes the sun. Besides, your picture looks exactly like they do, save for the lack of color of course. It leaves little room for doubt. You did really well on it." Flose was certainly taken aback by the compliment on his sketch. He stared at the beast for a moment in pure shock, questioning whether he had misjudged the tiger after all.

Oust could see the wheels turning in the boy's mind, and tried once more to lighten up the mood. Oust smiled at the human thoughtfully, doing his best to mimic the warm, toothy grin the fox had used often. What Oust didn't consider, was that this human wasn't raised around beasts as Aster was...

The smaller boy couldn't differentiate their facial expressions, nor really understand their body language quite yet... So all Flose saw was the beast bearing his fangs in a threatening snarl. He dropped his gaze immediately as his heart raced back into a panic. Nope... That massive tiger was still fucking scary. Corper realized what the tiger had overlooked, and simply let out a sigh before turning to his student, and speaking a bit quietly to him.

"You should probably practice that smile a little more before you go throwing it around, young one... You don't exactly have the innocent face to pull it off..." Rust didn't even try to hide his snicker. Flose and Oust both burned uncomfortably in their places, the failed notion of kindness warping into embarrassment for them on an excruciating level. There was an even more awkward silence for a moment before Flose finally managed to build up enough courage to speak once more. He turned his gaze back to Rust, deflated after processing the news.

"From what he just told me, it would probably take me close to two weeks to make it there, gather the flowers, and get back to my people, and that's if the orcs are still somewhat tolerant of my kind. The sick in my settlement won't be able to last that long... but the bear told me you had healing magic..." Flose dropped his gaze, feeling so unbearably flustered by all of this. He had broken every single rule he had been taught throughout his entire life just to reach this point... Begging a beast to help him. Flose was trying his best to word it, knowing it would come out as a helpless plea for aid no matter what he said. Luckily for him, he never even had to ask.

"I'll go." Flose shot his gaze back to the little fox, his eyes wide in both surprise, and hope. The boy sputtered to get his reply out, overwhelmed by such an unexpectedly easy answer.

"Wait... YOU WILL?!?" Sir Corper repeated the human's question, asking the fox as well.

"You will?" Rust flashed a toothy smile, (far more effectively than Oust had recently attempted,) and answered both the bear, and the boy enthusiastically.

"Sure! What's the point of having prayer magic if I don't use it to help people in need?" Corper dove a little deeper in reply, ensuring the cub was making an informed decision.

"And you parents? You're alright without seeing them as soon as possible?" Rust's smile never faded as he answered that gently.

"I want to see my mom and dad more than anything in the world right now... But he is worried about his family too. I would pray that if I couldn't help my loved ones, and somebody else could, that they would do what I was unable to... Besides, I think it's only fair to my uncle that I try." Flose wanted to start crying again for completely different reasons as he basked in that answer. An uncertain look crossed his face a moment later as he realized something.

"I don't have any real way to pay you..." Rust laughed light-heartedly at the remark, dismissing the need entirely with his reply.

"Don't worry about that. Uncle Aster finding out there are other human's alive will be plenty of payment for me!" Flose went silent as his mind failed to process those words again and again. Other humans? Then... Flose suddenly leaned forward, resting his weight on his hands as he stared at the adolescent fox with a slacked jaw. He asked his question slowly, finally disregarding the remaining caution he had clung to.

"Is... Is your uncle a human with brown hair? A male about my age with gold and brown eyes?" Rust kept smiling as he answered.

"Haha, yeah, that's Aster. Surprised you didn't just ask about the shield though, that's way more of a dead giveaw-"

"YOUR UNCLE IS THE STOLEN KING OF ADAMARE? THE SHIELDBEARER, SOLIS AUREUS, LIVES?" All three beasts were a little surprised by the sudden shift in tone and energy. It was Oust that answered the question.

"Yes, he does. We were all traveling with him up until a few days ago. We were separated by a large fissure then, but I am certain of it. Aster Venatus, or Solis Aureus by his birth name, is aliv-" Oust stopped dead in his tracks as he noticed something... The human was sobbing again. Oust cautiously asked his question.

"Are... are you alright?" Flose closed his leaky eyes, and just nodded in response. The human finally looked up, and Oust was absolutely stunned by the sight of him.

Flose was bearing the cheesiest looking smile the tiger had ever seen. It was warm, and authentic, and it brilliantly mirrored the hope returned to those deep, green eyes seated just above it. Above all else, however, Oust simply couldn't help but make note of it... He had never seen anybody look so happy while tears rolled off of their face. Oust wasn't certain why, but seeing the tiny little human shed those happy tears made him feel just a little bit warmer in that moment. He always did have a soft spot for runts, after all...

===

`Fools are giving me everything I need, and I didn't even have to ask a single question.' The thought crossed her mind bitterly as the conversation between the three beasts and the unfamiliar human progressed further along. Not that it was their fault, not even Sir Corper had noticed the tigress poised just a short ways away, remaining hidden behind a larger tree downwind from them. Richta Candori was far too accomplished of an assassin to slip up so easily, after all.

She listened on, making short mental notes and remarks all the while, things that may aid her on her mission. She had a job to do, but she had been graced with some unexpected developments to say the least, and that led the eldest of the surviving Candori children with quite a decision to make...

Three names. Her father had given her three names this time, but that was certainly only due to not being aware of a surviving human settlement. She could trail these four, follow them to where this hidden village was, and probably dispatch every single one of them by herself without even breaking a sweat. Her father would likely applaud the initiative... but...

Oust had a chance to escape all of that here. He was the third name given to her, and one she had known was coming for years now, one she had been dreading all the while. His loss to the human during the Selection was simply the final disgrace to their family name her father would stand for. A Candori losing to a human was both unacceptable, and a true testament to her little brother's weakness, at least in Reiner's eyes. Richta thought she could do it before, she had steeled herself to put her little brother out of his misery for a long time by then. In truth, it would have been a mercy at one point... but there was something different about her brother now... Nearly all of the edge their father had applied to his youngest, failed weapon had faded. Oust was becoming soft. Oust was becoming like he was before that night happened.

Oust, was happy, far happier than she had seen her brother for a long time. Would he still be so happy if she revealed herself, and killed that human as her father would command her to in this situation? Would he look at her like the monster she had been forged into once more? Would he even go so far as to cry now, like he did back then? She knew the answers to those questions, but if her father ever found out that she had both in her sights, and let them go, it would be her to suffer the consequences for such weakness, and her father always found out...

The strong thrive, and the weak fall... She was strong. Oust was weak. This was something the tigress had always known. It shouldn't even be a question. She shouldn't even be debating it. She shouldn't still be hiding... Oust shouldn't still be breathing. Richta held up her palm before her, and gazed down at her claws in a daze. Why were her ever-steady hands so shaky now? Why was her heart racing? Why was she returning to that night, here of all places?

As the tigress blinked, she was met with a most unsettling sight before her. She never even flinched, her mind had been playing such tricks on her for a long time now, and showing such emotion was certainly forbidden to her. Still, the image of the dark red blood she saw coating her hand in a thick and glossy glaze always came to her when she thought about that night. Her hand trembled ever so slightly, and she silently reached her free one up to brace against her forearm, stopping the tremor effectively. She didn't want to have to see Oust's blood there too...

Richta Candori made her decision without a sound. The tigress activated her bloodskill, and began sinking through the earth right below her paws, passing through the matter beneath them as if it were merely a pool of liquid. She would simply have to be certain her father never found out about this... Besides, if she knocked the other two names off of her list, her father would be sated enough for the time being... or so she hoped.

Regardless, Richta did receive some vital leads from the conversation. Prince Tyfin was either pushed to the north, or to the south. The tigress pondered on the likelihoods for a moment, considered where her allies were stationed, and made the most logical choice from there. Her decision that day damned one king, and spared the other. It seemed the talented tigress would only be knocking one name off of her list after all.

===

"Are you certain about this? You father may very well be waking up soon for all we know." Byron understood why the young panther and the coyote felt they needed to act, but he was still wary about any beast travelling alone in such fragile times. Talan Venatus replied sturdily.

"With all due respect, Sir Byron, I cannot continue basing my decisions on a possibility when we have received confirmation that the prince has been pushed off course. This is part of my duty, as well as my superior's." Sir Syphur expanded on that statement.

"Talan is correct here, Sir Byron. We are the two in charge of the prince's guard. We need to be the ones to take the necessary precautions here. Talan is more than capable, certainly far more capable than I in battle. If there were any one beast I would bet my gold on making it to our young king, it would be my protégé here, without question." Byron let out a shallow sigh as he answered the stubborn pair.

"Hopefully, there will be no need for any bloodshed... but it is probably better to be on the safe side, I suppose. So... our young Venatus son departs east here, checking some of the smaller towns as he makes his way north, and our group stays on course until we reach my wife's estate. From there, if we have received no word, we send another scouting party east, one to work their way down from where the Thorned Thicket meets the northern mountain range. With any luck, we locate the prince, and add to his escorts in getting him somewhere safe." The coyote nodded, confirming as much. Syphur spoke soundly.

"If we get really lucky, none of this may be needed at all, and the prince will arrive at the estate without a hitch. However, it seems luck has been far too foul on us lately to leave such things to chance. I think this is the right call, from a strategic point of view anyway. When he had many a guard with him, it wasn't such a dire circumstance, and even though Captain Rixator is more than a capable escort himself, even that bulky bull may need some assistance. I think it wise that we would lend it to him. The prince had to go north or south from the way you described that fissure, so we need to be monitoring both directions." The older wolf nodded at the logic there. He understood, but he still felt unsure, though, he kept those uncertainties to himself for a while. Adding too much pessimism here would sway neither beast's decision anyway. The veteran yielded.

"I'm certainly nobody to stop you... But Talan? Please be careful. Losing a son was the hardest thing I've ever had happen to me, and your father shouldn't have to endure that pain twice." The panther bowed in respect of both the wisdom, and the warning. He answered affirmatively.

"Thank you, Sir Byron, for all the kindness you have shown my family. I will be certain to repay it in full, should I ever have the honor, or the opportunity." The old wolf waved his dismissal. There was no score to keep on such things, not in his eyes.

Talan broke away from the rest of the caravan shortly after, taking with him a single, feral horse. The panther was always an excellent rider, and the young knight had the mount galloping in a steady sprint whenever the pair didn't need to rest. Every second shaved off the clock brought him one step closer to his king, and the oldest of the Venatus sons was not planning to keep the lion waiting any longer.

===

I know Aster seems to be on the backburner for now, but I'm just tying up a few loose ends, and setting up a few things for the next part of the story before I refocus on him. Trust me, he has plenty of the spotlight coming, and could use the rest before the ball drops. We are still very much on track for chapter 35 to be the chapter we get the main answers, and where the big reveals/intersecting storylines start dropping, with possible double chapters for much of it. I hope you aren't too bored by my build up before then!

A rating goes a long way, and your thoughts go even further. I'd be grateful to receive either! (Some things might go how you're expecting them to, some definitely won't, and some will happen how you expect, but not in the execution you would guess. I hope it all delivers a good read for you.) As always, thank you for reading my story! -PupBayou