Clayton had a bad premonition when he saw the situation ahead. 

Though the two dead bodies are covered carefully by coarse cloth the blood flowing on the ground was too much that it soaked a wide patch. The smell lingered in the air like a beacon to those hiding in the woods.

"This is not good. The smell is too thick here, there might be other beasts coming soon." He looked at the sky quickly losing daylight and turned to Ayan, "We have to find a cave."

She nodded and asked Coco if there was any nearby.

"There is one right below the cliff walls but it's also close to the bandit's den,"  Coco replied hesitatingly. 

Ayan checked the sky again feeling the urgency clawing at her. No one knew the ferocity of the wild beast better than them. It was already hard dealing with stray ones, what more those who have smelled blood? 

"That cave… as long as we keep it discreet, we can use it right?"

"Well if you put that way… yes." 

Clayton approached the group of people ahead while she went to find the place Coco mentioned. She reminded the children to wait for their father in a tree nearby and must not wander around. 

Seeing that the human mother is going away, the ghost leopard perked its ears, jumped down from the pouch and followed Ayan from behind. The white fluff ball that had grown fat from feeding couldn't keep up and he was left out on the grass unable to take another step. 

It kept calling but Ayan did not look back. The little wings on its back drooped, failing its job to lift him to fly because of his round body. 

Raven saw it meowl and beat the ground with its fat paw angrily as if complaining. He rolled his eyes and intended to scoop the cub back into his arms. 

"Who told you to eat too much? Are you a pig? Look at you now."

The white thing became even angrier. He is a mighty winged beast, not some lowly beast! His mother said he is going to become king someday, how dare they compare to an ugly boar and... and name him Milk? 

The dear mother must be sad once she hears of this. 

Milk turned his head and put his butt in front of Raven. Humph, not talking to this one! He was feeling very smug when suddenly his vision turned and he was picked up by the scruff. He struggled hard waving his paws in the air but he was powerless against this little human. 

Oh, how sad! 

Raven looked at the fat cat wiggling like a worm, then came his hands tickling its soft belly. "You don't know how to behave." The vicious thing was instantly subdued. It purred happily, curled its body softly becoming obedient. 

Milk purred again. Human, if the tickles weren't so comfortable… 

"Don't run around, okay?" Carmine added taking a grape from his pocket. 

They didn't know how this carnivorous beast like eating human foods, especially fruits. Among Milk's favourites are the crimson jewel strawberries and ruby grapes which happen to be one of the most precious fruits in the fairy ring. It wasn't like its kind at all, winged leopard's diet consisted solely of meat and more meat. 

No wonder the boys compared him to a pig. 

Meanwhile, the cave Coco told Ayan about was only three meters high. It looked more like a tunnel dug out by animals rather than a naturally formed cave. She wasn't picky anyhow as long as it can shelter them from the dangerous elements of the night this was enough. 

On Clayton's side, he broke the argument quickly when he spoke about the wild beasts coming. The merchant named Eliott was instantly horrified. First, they have been robbed, if another attack came again, would he still be able to survive? 

"Burn them!" Eliot shouted pointing at the bodies. "Quickly burn them before it's too late."

Knoll, the leader of the mercenary, felt even more dissatisfied by his attitude and wanted to fight him for good. 

"What are you waiting for?" 

"Burning will only attract more predators!" Clayton cut him off coldly. "Stop quarrelling and save your energy to dig a pit and bury them."

Although the mercenaries are bitter with the outcome, they still have to give their former companions the last rites. The men used their weapons and what little tools there were inside the carriage to dig a deep enough pit for the fallen comrades to rest. Eliott did not help throughout the ordeal and kept muttering on the side. He would only shut up when people glanced at him sharply. 

"Clayton," Ayan panted on her way back, "I found one, I found a cave."

He stopped shovelling soil back to the pit and nodded. The sun was leaning westward when the hasty burial was finished. 

"Is there strong wine?" Clayton asked.

"There is one in the carriage." Knoll, the mercenary leader said and went to find it.

Eliott immediately jumped to protest saying it was one of his most expensive wines. Knoll ignored him and took the jug out, Clayton told him to sprinkle it on top of the grave to distract the beast. 

The mercenaries were grateful for the suggestion. He knew that even though their comrades were buried if the beasts came, they would dig them out to eat.    

"That's my wine! You want to waste it on these people? Do you know how expensive it is?"

Knoll glared murderously at him. "Shut up!"

Finally, the whole jug was spilt evenly. They were already getting ready to move out when Eliott screamed again.

"Hey, what about my things? You can't just leave it here!" 

"The beast won't touch them," Knoll said flatly. 

"Damn you imbecile, these things are more precious than your lives combined." After he ranted a howl from the wild beasts echoed making his knees tremble. He suddenly became eager to get away. 

His frightened eyes searched for Ayan and clamoured, "Y-You, where is that cave? Take me there… you take me there now! I have a lot of money I can pay you."

Ayan stepped back avoiding his hands. "This gentleman, you have to calm down."

Eliott became incensed, "Ignorant woman, I'm asking you to bring me there don't make me--" his words stopped, then everyone heard a shrill painful cry next. "Oh, oh, my hand, my hand."

Clayton was already in front of him twisting his arm like a stick. His eyes glowing in a feral light. "Insult her again and I will throw you in the forest." 

If Eliott was frightened by the beast, he was even more terrified of this man now. This was the kind of person who kills without showing remorse. His panic was replaced by horror. He couldn't stop himself from shaking. 

The party left the burial site quickly. Ayan took the boys leading everyone to the cave on the cliff sides. It was hidden inconspicuously by bushes that no one would notice it even if they passed by here. 

The howls grew louder. 

"Careful," When Ayan was about to put Raven in first, Eliott came like a mad bull barreling his way in pushing everyone to the side. A few sturdy men would not be shaken but Raven is only a four-year-old child when he was pushed Ayan quickly dropped to the ground to catch him but her left elbow hit the cave wall. 

Eliott smiled maliciously seeing her grunt in pain.

"Wuuu… mother!" Raven cried hugging her.

Everyone stared at the cowardly man with disgust and hatred in their eyes but Eliott pretended not to see and shrank himself comfortably to the farthest end holding his injured arm. They hurt him first, he only retaliated. 

Clayton wasn't just going to let him slide, he strode inside the cave and picked up the horrified Eliott despite his protest and threw him outside. He landed on the ground with a thud and rolled a few times before coming to a halt. 

He was so frightened he was about to wet his pants. But he was also burning with fury. How dare these peasants to treat him this way!?   

Everyone gathered firewood from the fallen branches on the ground to keep a fire going. When they returned inside the cave, a dry lightning storm started brewing above the timberline. 

"Thankfully we found a place to hide." Knoll expressed his gratitude to the family. 

The mercenaries did not relax their guard and kept looking outside the dimming forest, some of their comrades stacked the firewood while Clayton rubbed flint into the kindling. A short while later, a fire lit the whole cave. 

"Let me see your elbow," Clayton said, walking to Ayan's side.

He took out cotton and hydrogen peroxide from his satchel and started cleaning her wound. He was already familiar with this quick first aid process because she always does this every time he returns from hunting with cuts and bruises. 

First, clean the wound with the solution to remove dirt and other debris. Blow on it to prevent stinging. Then wipe antibiotic ointment before covering with white gauze. The glare of freshly broken skin on her smooth arm made his blood boil. 

Ayan is a well-bred lady, since when did she suffer this kind of grievance?  

The twins looked at her wound red-eyed. When their father was carefully treating her, they clung to her sides like little mushrooms watching attentively and wouldn't let go. What if the bad man comes again? 

"Mommy, does it still hurt? Eat my candy." Carmine took out a piece of chocolate and handed it to her mouth.

"I'm fine, thank you, babies. It's just a tiny wound." She smiled kissing his forehead then kissed Raven next. 

Milk meowled softly on the side. It snuggled to her lap but cannot seem to get the most comfortable position. He turned a few times unsatisfied before finally climbing on Ayan's shoulder.

Humph, the night is cold human. Be grateful, I will lend you my precious fur. He said proudly curling his tail.

Outside, the lightning raged. The wild beasts who got a whiff of blood were in a frenzy, Eliott turned silent as he shrank smaller and smaller trying to reduce his presence. 

The fire crackled spraying embers while they gather around it.

"Where are you heading by the way?" Knoll inquired to fill in the silence. "East is not looking very optimistic as of the moment because Commander Sybil is currently raising troops to invade the island kingdom of Ma-i. Have you heard of Ma-i?"   

Eliott snorted on the side. "What does a peasant know about politics?"

He was ignored like air.

"Our family is heading west towards Ava," Clayton replied cordially. "About the Ma-is, I heard of them from my travels."

It was part of his education as a competent noble to study the different kingdoms, races and tribes all over the world.

"The Ma-is are very peaceful and friendly people. The emperor has also a good impression of them. Why start an invasion?"

Beck, the youngest among the mercenaries sighed. "Perhaps you haven't heard it yet, they suspect the Ma-is for indulging in sinister occult practices. The court is boiling whether they are to be suspected of the current spread of wraiths and furies in the continent."  

"Do you also believe this?" Ayan couldn't help but join in.

No one scorned her for asking just because she is a woman except for the egoist Eliott. 

"No, no." Beck denied quickly. "How can an island kingdom thousands of miles away separated by an ocean be blamed for the problem of our land? It's preposterous."

"Indeed," Clayton said. "Ma-i is a pure untouched paradise far away from the miasma of the Dark Continent or the Plaguelands. Meanwhile, we are affected because of the few smuggled items some illegal traders sneaked in this continent."

"Selfish bastards. I hope they are caught soon and put up in the scaffold to be whipped." One mercenary brother grunted.  

"Me thinks, there is a conspiracy!" Knoll gossiped. "Isn't Ma-i rich in resources? For example… spices."

Ayan guessed it more or less. It was because the Sybil family wanted to hold a monopoly with the trade of spices in the empire so they launched a crusade against the so-called sinister infidels, brainwashing the public about those heathens beyond the sea who harmed the empire. This way they would have a justifiable reason to pillage and ransack the other kingdom's resources.

Sybil family, one of the newly sprouted nobles who won the favour of the emperor after the eldest son defeated the bandits lurking near the southern borders. Their name became even louder after the youngest daughter joined the harem and became queen. 

Commander Sybil is young and promising. Unfortunately, he is also ruthless. He will bring more honour to the empire at the expense of many people's suffering. 

She felt sick just thinking about it. 

"Be careful what you're talking about. You're smearing a nobleman's good name!" Eliott snapped on the side. 

These fools are going to drag him along with them. What if this kind of slanderous conversation came out? He doesn't want to become fertilizer to the weeds just yet. He still has dreams of expanding his business.

"It's late, we should at least eat something," Ayan suggested before she completely loses her patience and beat this annoying man into a pulp.

Everyone's heart was tense and they were not in the mood to eat food. They settled on ham and brown bread the family brought, washed it down with water then quickly resumed being on a lookout. 

Although the food was the most common one they always see, the taste was memorable. Knoll was still relishing the aftertaste of that honey cooked ham he had and the nice chunky bread. The others were also the same.

The first half of the night passed like this. The loud thunderstorms continue to rage. When it was about two in the morning, the fire almost went out throwing the cave into a lot of tension. They quickly threw in the logs they chopped earlier, however, the pace of burning was still too slow and the beasts were already a few meters away. Clayton took up his sword and the rest of the men and began the fight. Ayan was left to watch the campfire. 

Then bad news came from Coco, "Ayan, the fairy ring has absorbed plenty of essence from the Cornucopia. I may have to sleep longer this time to help you refine it."

"Now?" She exclaimed almost standing up halfway.

"If I don't do this, the beast will be attracted to the scent of your dimension. As you know, the world inside the fairy ring is very rich in magical essence. You will put yourself in danger if I don't seal it first."  

Her hand flew to her forehead, "A-Alright but help me put some things inside the bags first."

"Done," Coco replied. "I'm going now."

Under the tree, Coco laid near the five light balls and slowly sunk into a deep sleep. He did not expect that although Ayan absorbed most of the essence, there was still too much left for space. He was also worried that something might happen to her while he is out. But this is also an emergency, he really cannot help it. 

It was too dark to see what was happening ahead but Ayan can hear the growls and sounds of metal colliding with something hard. During the intense battle, the hours seem to drag slower.  

She waited with a hanging heart. The noise mixed with the storm became more pronounced. This made her frown. How come it seems as if the fighting is getting longer and… there other voices joining as well?

Eliott watches the woman in the dim light. In fact, he is already aware that they are not just an ordinary family. The man had a stalwart demeanour combined with a calm exterior. This woman is also rare beauty rarely seen even in large cities. They speak like noblemen and they look like noblemen. The question now is, how did they end up here?

A cunning light flashed in his eyes. 

Eliott rubs his hands together in anticipation. Those men are still outside, he hopes they don't survive so he can taste the beauty. It was too bad for his lost treasure but he gained much more in return.

Slowly, he pulled something out of his pocket. He was about to sprinkle it into the fire when a tearing pain in his arm woke him up.

His heart felt cold, there was a pair of blood-red eyes staring at him in the dark! 

ROAR~ 

Ayan was startled by the roar and quickly turned back only to see Milk raising all his hair and growling at Eliott as if ready to swallow him alive.

"Milk, what's wrong?" 

Milk refused to turn and continue to growl. His body poised to attack while letting out an eerie guttural sound that doesn't belong to a cub. The sound was too sharp it was further magnified by the cave walls. 

Eliott was bleeding from his injured arm but he dare not move an inch. The warm blood kept flowing out. He regrets it. He shouldn't have provoked this evil woman and the beast. He almost lost his right hand tonight!  

Milk bared his fangs at him. Eliott was frightened out of his wits.

When Milk was sure there will be no other tricks on his part, he relaxed and restored his sweet and docile look. the erected fur settled down, he began licking his little paw, wiped his dirty face before trotting back to Ayan like a proud king who just finished giving an errant servant a severe punishment. 

Carmine picked him up and whined, "Your mouth stinks, don't eat something dirty next time. You'll have a bad stomach."

Eliott nearly died in anger after hearing it. 

Fortunately, the sky began to lighten. The beasts don't like too much light so they scurried back to the bleak forest ending the ordeal at last. Moments later, the clatter of metals and several footsteps drew closer to where they are.

Ayan reached for the dagger hidden on her boots and held the children securely. 

If by chance it was an enemy… 

bananapink

Hey folks, I got obsessed with maps lately and decided to make a little map of Asturia Empire. It's a little crude but I hope it helps...