"No!" Gideon’s voice pierced the stillness of the forest, reverberating through the towering trees like an alarm bell. The desperation in his shout mingled with the rustling of leaves, but he stood frozen in place, his mind racing and heart pounding. The weight of the moment pressed down on him, rendering him momentarily paralyzed as fear washed over him in waves.
Bener had been tending to a pheasant skewered over a pit, the golden skin hissing as it crisped above the flames. The scent of lemongrass and singed fat mingled with woodsmoke in the air—but the moment shattered. His instincts flared as he abandoned his grilling, his hands tightening around the hilt of his blade. He sprinted toward the groaning figure sprawled on the ground—Percival.
Abel and Barett stood nearby, transfixed like statues. A memory surged into their minds—Darius, torn and bitten by a tiger, smaller than the one now pinning Percival. The trauma gripped them, freezing their limbs and numbing their will. Their eyes widened, breaths short and ragged, as if the forest itself had turned against them.
Bener drew his sword in one fluid motion. The steel sang as it left the scabbard, catching glimmers of the sunlight that sifted through the green canopy above, his stance low and ready. He would face the beast—even if it meant his death.
"Thunder, no!" Lara’s voice cut through the chaos. It wasn’t a plea. It was a command.
The tiger came to a halt, its powerful paws still pinning Percival. With a curious tilt of its head, it fixated its piercing gaze on Lara. In that moment, it seemed to ask a silent question, ’Why do you stop me, master? He is your enemy, is he not? The air vibrated with tension as the bright amber of its eyes reflected a mix of confusion and intrigue, creating a profound connection between predator and protector.
Percival blinked hard. Was it real? Surely it couldn’t be. But it was. But above him loomed the orange tiger, its powerful form towering with muscle and sinew, each ripple of its fur a testament to its strength. The creature’s presence was terrifying, trapping him under a blanket of raw, primal energy. The weight pressing down on him was no mere burden; it felt as though a boulder had been laid upon his chest.
Then Lara stepped forward.
"That is my brother!" Lara’s voice was now calm and steady, like serene before the plunge of a waterfall.
"Come here, boy!" Lara beckoned to the tiger. The big cat, in response, lifted its paws off Percival’s chest.
Percival let out a deep sigh of relief as the oppressive weight finally lifted from his chest. He felt that a little longer and his ribs would break. He struggled to raise himself from the ground, a low groan escaping his lips as waves of pain radiated across his chest and back.
Meanwhile, the tiger in a blur of motion, sprang toward Lara, only to tackle her to the ground with the playful energy of a cub, though it was very much an adult.
A giant, wet, raspy tongue scraped across her face, over and over again. Lara spluttered and shrieked, trying to shield herself with her hands.
"Thunder, you’re disgusting! Stop—ugh—your saliva is so gross!" she groaned, laughing and gagging all at once as the tiger moved to lick her hands instead, purring in delight.
Bener, who was about to help Percival up, was shocked. With his mouth agape, he watched as the tiger playfully licked his sister’s face.
"Bener, Gideon, aren’t you going to help me up?" He called out in an aggrieved voice.
Bener snapped out of his daze, hurrying over to help Percival sit up. He gently pulled him away from the tiger, who was now rubbing its massive head affectionately against Lara’s shoulder.
"Bro, did you see that? The.. tiger." Gideon stammered.
"Yeah," Bener muttered, feigning calm with a shrug. But inside, his mind was a maelstrom. That... thing had almost killed his brother—and now it nuzzled his sister like a housecat. He couldn’t begin to make sense of it.
"Is the tiger... her pet?" Percival, still wheezing, eyed the tiger warily.
"I guess so," Gideon replied, eyes glued to the beast now sprawled belly-up, paws twitching as Lara scratched behind its ears.
"So, you just want a scratch, huh?" Lara cooed. Thunder groaned softly, a low, guttural purr of satisfaction vibrating through the clearing.
Percival staggered a few steps closer, wincing. He hesitated, then called out, voice laced with awe and confusion:
"Sis...? The tiger... it likes you." Percival’s voice wavered as he approached, each step uncertain, like he was walking a tightrope between. His ribs ached, his legs shook, but he took the courage to come closer. To pet the tiger.
Lara laughed. It was light and breezy, which wiped the hesitation from Percival.
"Thunder was just a cub when I first met him. He was dying from wounds and hunger." Lara scratched the tiger’s neck. "But he was a fighter and a survivor. And look at him so big now."
Lara sat up, brushing twigs from her hair as Thunder curled beside her, tail flicking lazily, content like a kitten sunbathing on a windowsill. She looked up at Percival with a smile as she reached out for a jerky that she kept inside her pack.
Thunder stood on all four and sniffed the backpack. Lara fed her his favorite snack, and the tiger lay down lazily beside her.
She beckoned for her brothers to come over.
"You too, Abel, Barett, come here." Lara stood, and so did the tiger.
"Thunder, meet my family. You are not allowed to harm them, okay?"
The tiger with his amber eyes circled the five men and sniffed at them one by one.
"Sis, she understands you." Gideon blurted out. He almost pulled his hand when the tiger licked it.
"Brother, tigers are highly intelligent animals. They have bigger brains compared to other big cats."
Thunder yawned, revealing a mouthful of dagger-like teeth, then promptly rolled over and began grooming one of his paws with the same tongue that had just tried to exfoliate Lara’s face.
Percival looked at Lara suspiciously. "Sis, don’t tell me that you opened their skull and compared their brains?"
Lara rolled her eyes. Somehow, she now believed that Peridur must have gotten more brains when they were still developing in their mother’s womb.
The smell of charred meat permeated the air.