The howl tore through the hut like a blade with sharp, close, and wrong. Saul's hand was on his dagger before his eyes were even open, the leather grip cool against his palm. Lira was already up, fury in her stance, claws out as she grabbed her spear from the rack. The furs tangled around his legs, but he kicked free, heart hammering like a drum.
A second ago, there had been peace. Now it was gone. Silverclaws. Of course it was them.
"Stay low," Lira said, her voice cold and steady. She cracked the door open, moonlight spilling silver across her skin. The faint mark Saul had traced on her chest glowed weakly, pulsing in warning. "Ridge call. Scouts, not a raid. We flank quiet."
Saul nodded, dragging on his hides, the rough fabric biting against still-sensitive skin. The system glitch from before flickered in his head, the cracked seal image flashing like static, but he shoved it away. Whatever that was, it could wait. Right now, the danger was real.
He slipped out after Lira into the damp night. Mist rolled off the river, thick and cold. Village lights flickered behind them, other huts stirring as more howls echoed through the fog.
Lira signaled for silence and led him through the underbrush, her steps soundless, her focus sharp.
The ridge rose ahead, a slope of roots and rock hidden under vines. Tracks marked the dirt with light, curved prints that matched the claw mark they'd found earlier. Three shapes moved near the crest, sleek forms with silver-striped fur and bows slung across their shoulders.
Their eyes glowed pale under the moonlight. Silverclaws, definitely. Not a full attack, just scouts testing the new blood of Shadowfang.
Lira gestured for a split. Saul veered right, breath steady, dagger low. The mist thickened, muffling sound, but his aura sense burned through the fog. He felt their intent with lots of curiosity, hunger, and focus. They were trying to hunting him.
He moved in wide, circling until one of the scouts paused, nose twitching. The cat's head snapped toward him. Too close. Saul froze, breath shallow. A vine brushed his boot, cool and damp.
The system chimed softly:
[Scan: Fog-Damp Vines - Binding Growth, +5 Points]
[Vine Lash Unlocked: Summon weak trap. Bind foes short.]
A small wisp of green aura spiraled around his wrist. Perfect timing.
The scout drew her bow. Saul lunged first, a blur in the mist. The arrow hissed past his ear, slamming into a tree. He caught her wrist, twisted hard, and drove a knee into her gut. She went down with a choked sound, bow clattering into the dirt.
Her claws raked his arm shallow, hot sting but not deep. Across the ridge, Lira struck fast.
Her spear flashed, slicing the second scout's thigh and spinning her to the ground. The third turned to run, tail flashing silver, but Lira's throw caught him in the calf, dropping him with a howl.
Quick, clean. No kills, just a warning. "Stranger's storm," the pinned one spat, glaring at Saul's mark.
"Silverclaws remember." Lira ripped her spear free, face hard. "Tell your alpha, Shadowfang holds. if they cross again and then mercy is not an option, Lira."
She nodded to Saul. "Bind them. Patrol's close."
Saul focused, calling the new skill. The vines around them stirred, snaking up from the ground to wrap the scouts' wrists tight.
[Skill Active: Vine Lash Lv.1]
It felt right—like the jungle itself obeyed. Their fear stung through his aura sense, sharp but honest. Just scouts.
By the time Rorik and a handful of wolves arrived, the fight was done. The big man grinned, slapping Saul's back hard enough to rattle his bones. "Not bad, foreigner. Got some bite after all."
"Save it for dawn," Lira said by wiping her weapon clean at the same time. "We will question them, then cage them till Sable decides what to do with them."
The patrol dragged the prisoners off. The village stirred awake, whispers chasing through the mist. Saul fell into step beside Lira, his arm stinging but the rush still alive in his chest.
"That your beast HR policy?" he asked. "Interrogate first, fire later?"
She snorted, bumping him lightly. "Hunt or be hunted. No sick days here."
He laughed, the sound softer than he expected. The fight's thrill faded fast, leaving the ghosts waiting behind it. Juvia's whisper, the mission gone wrong, the fall. All of it pressed close again. But Lira's hand found his, her warmth steady against the cold. The ache eased a little.
By the time they reached the hut, dawn was creeping in. They dropped onto the furs without words, too tired for anything more. No heat tonight, just quiet. Her head is on his shoulder, their breathing in sync.
"Sleep quietly, storm boy" she murmured in his ears. "Training at first light. I'll make a best hunter out of you yet."
He didn't argue. The vine lash hummed faintly under his skin as sleep took him. Dawn came gray and heavy, the fog thick as wool. Lira nudged him awake, her mark faintly glowing.
"Up to the land, storm-boy. Patrol's waiting."
Saul groaned, splashing cold water on his face. The stamina echo still held. No drag from the fight, just that steady buzz ready for more.
Outside, the ridge was alive with low voices. The captured scouts sat caged in thorn pits, their silver fur streaked with mud. Rorik gnawed on dried meat by the fire. "Sleep well? Good. Mist's thick, time to learn tracks. Step wrong, and you'll feed the boars."
Lira led him out toward the jungle fringe, where fog swallowed sound. "Step light. Heel to toe. Feel the ground move with you."
Saul mirrored her stance, boots sinking soft into leaf mold. The mist clung to his arms and face, turning the trees into pale ghosts.
"So no rest days?" he muttered. "Just hunt or die? Sounds like a bad HR policy."
Lira smirked with a little doubt, "What do you mean by HR policy, but here rest means getting eaten, so keep moving for your life to live."
Her humor loosened something in his chest. The night's tension ebbed, leaving only focus. She pointed at a bent twig near their path. "See that? Fresh bend. Weight tells age. Something big came through today."
Saul crouched and activated the scan.
[Scan: Broken Twig - Boar trail remnant, +3 Points]
Saul still don't know fully of how its collecting points, sometimes its collecting but sometimes its not so make sure take a note of what is happening in the system.
The aura pulsed faint gray, and suddenly the air changed, he could smell the musk of old boar tracks, faint but clear.
"Good," Lira said, nodding. "Now vines. Fog hides them best."
A tangle hung low, heavy with dew. Saul scanned again.
[Scan: Fog-Damp Vines - Flexible bind, +10 Points.]
Energy surged through his limbs, cool and clean. The vine lash pulsed, alive and ready.
"Watch out," he said, testing it. A green tendril rose and coiled around a branch before snapping back. Lira's brows lifted. "Storm's got tricks. Let's see them in a fight."
She moved without warning, spear flashing in a feint. Saul ducked just in time. Her growl echoed in the mist. He rolled, the vine lash flicking from his hand on instinct, wrapping around her ankle. She twisted midair, graceful even as the pull spun her off balance.
Saul stepped in, catching her waist, and they hit the mulch rolling. She ended up on top, thighs locking his hips, spear pressed to his throat with a grin. A shallow cut traced his jaw.
"Got you," she said with eyes bright filled with saul's face.
Saul raised his hands in mock surrender, smiling despite the sting. "Fair pin. But next time, I will lead the merger."
"Merger?" Lira laughed, shaking her head. "That's your hunt talk?"
She noticed the blood on his jaw and frowned. Her thumb brushed it away. "Sloppy. Hold still."
The fog curled thick around them. Saul caught her wrist gently. "Not yet. Something first."
He met her eyes, the bond between them humming. "That mark on you, it's not just ink. It's me. My storms."
Her eyes widened. She touched the fang-shaped mark on her chest, the red swirl still fresh."Then it's mutual," she whispered.
"Do it." Saul pressed his palm to her mark, focus sharp. Green aura surged between them, coiling like roots, drawing their energy together.
[Bond Formed: Lira - Shared Traits Unlocked.]
Pain flashed through both of them, quick and bright. Lira gasped but didn't flinch. "Your storms… in my blood now," she breathed. He smiled faintly, granting the link.
[Skill Share: Herb Sense to Lira.]
Her eyes widened as a green shimmer passed over her claws. She touched his cheek again, and the shallow cut closed instantly. "I can feel everything, the sap, the leaves. It's all alive, how is this possible"
Tears ran down her cheeks before she could stop them. Saul pulled her close, his own eyes stinging. The ghosts of loss, their pain, their scars and all of them were blended into something quieter. Connection.
They stayed like that until the fog thinned and morning light began to filter through. Lira finally pulled away, wiping her face with a small laugh. "Enough of that. Back to work." They walked again, steps light, the air filled with damp earth and distant birds. But then Saul stopped. His aura flared cold.
A tree ahead was gouged deep, old tusk scars crisscrossing its trunk. The sight hit him hard, a flash of memory, his father's office, the betrayal that built his stepbrother's throne. His knees went weak for a second.
Lira laid a hand on his shoulder. "Scars make the hunter," she said quietly. "Yours run deep. But they guide you now."
He nodded, grounding himself in her touch. "Yeah. Lead true."
They pushed on, the fog thickening again. Then Saul's aura sense snapped sharp. Malice, close. A shimmer of movement, silver eyes in the gray, an arrow drawn tight.
"Stranger's scent draws blood!"
Saul moved with dagger flashing. Lira's weapon rose beside him.
The scout lunged from the mist, and dawn broke red.