Tale of Panthera Regina (Remake)

Chapter 9; Lessons

POV: Mendax, Rex, Kadupul

Credit to Killerofthedrake and Wild101Life for writing this chapter.

(Rex)

As they left the Light Bridge, the two tigers got to know one another better as the fox felt something was off ahead of the tigers. The wind was getting stronger as they headed North towards Griffin Island, which they had to either swim or fly to get there as Head Griffins made it harder to get on the island.

"So, tell me again why you treat a Fox as if it's your kin?" Mendax asked Rex as Kadupul went ahead to sniff out snakes.

The snakes would only get worse from here as they will be traveling to the edge of the Desert border. That holds the most deadly of snakes. One bite and you are dead. So, They were all being extra careful not to get bit. The closest tribe with an Angel is in the middle of the Flors Jungle. However, it would be difficult for anyone that is injured to travel. The Flors Jungle has dangerous creatures that could make the situation even worse.

Rex looked at Mendax and smiled. "I don't know. Mother always said that everyone deserves respect." He started. "It also helps to have siblings around Kadupul age."

Rex did think it was strange that Mendax kept asking about this, but he assumed it was strange to see a tiger and a fox getting along so well. *Maybe it wouldn't be that strange if Kadupul and I were in the same family or the same size.* He thought while looking ahead.

Rex couldn't see Kadupul but found her scent. The Darwin's Fox's scent was now a mix of dirt, tiger, and canine. At first, he was surprised when he first smelled the tiger on Kadupul, but she said that she smelled like a fox on him. Somehow, their scents had rubbed off of each other.

"But she is a fox, not of your kin?" Mendax pressed with a sharp tone.

"Look, I don't see what the big deal is. I learned from my lessons that it is not too uncommon to make friends outside your tribes." Rex explained to Mendax in a slightly irritated tone.

The white tiger didn't reply as Darwin Fox ran up to the two tigers. She had dirt on her paws, but it didn't bother her. Rex and Mendax stopped walking so Kadupul could give them the information.

The odors of about dozens of animals lie ahead of them, facing upwind, which allows the group to smell what's ahead of them, but none of the other creatures could tell they were there.

"Rex, I smell some snakes up ahead, but I don't think they will cause us any problem." The gray fox said.

Rex smiled and trusted Kadupul. "Okay. So, that means we won't have to take a detour." He said, displaying a grin. The prince felt they finally got lucky on their mission.

However, he hope these snakes of the Vesper Savanna weren't aggressive. Maybe they could speak to them without the threat of being attacked. There was a problem. Rex prayed that many of the snakes would speak the common tongue as he only knew a few tongues of the serpentines. The prince could speak and understand: Common Garter Snake, Mangrove Snake, Common Wolf Snake, and Milksnake. However, those species are common around where he lived, in the Veteres Forest. He doubts that any of them be in the Savanna.

Once, Rex was able to befriend a Diamondback Rattlesnake named Pratum. She was different from other Rattlesnakes, but that wasn't saying much as he only knew her for a short while.

Pratum was just like Rex wanting to make friends outside the tribe and the family group. She was even more excited when Rex asked her to teach him about her species. So, the pair would spend at least one week at the Royal Territory and one week at the Exosso Desert where she lived. They did that for four years straight. One time he even convinced his mother to allow him to stay a month there. Yes, he skipped school, but that was a time when the bullying got really bad. So bad that his mother even found out.