Caged - Unleash the Beast

Chapter 16 - "Let The Games Begin."

At first there was silence but then a few people began to make their way towards the tribe, at first X growled and flattened his ears at the approaching people. Jet snarled a warning to X, the tiger pierced his eyes before obeying. Beau was the first to the front, Jackie recognised the look in Beau's eyes. They were deep and emotional, like everything that has happened in his life was replaying. Rider was about to step in but Jackie stopped him. She scanned the group of big cats that were focusing on the trainee, at first there was nothing but than she noticed that X was avoiding eye contact. The tiger was shaking his head, his ears were flattened and head down. Jet had noticed it as well, the panther instructed the other big cats to step back causing X to grow more anxious. The rest of the tribe halted and watched as Beau took another step forward. Jet growled to X before whispering soft enough for only Jackie and Rider to hear what she had told X.
"Don't fight it. Look him in the eye and don't fight it." Jet whispered, lowering her head to the distance of his.
X looked Jet in the eye, the panther nodded to the tiger. X closed his eyes before his muscles clenched, his shoulders hunched and Jackie could see the pain in the tiger's eyes. The tiger slowly lifted his head, his eyes still closed tightly and jaw clenched with the pain. The pain of refusing. Jackie could also see the pain in Beau's eyes as the start of rejection began to set in. Jackie knew the very pain Beau was being faced with. She could see the hurt in Beau's eyes as the last of the rejection began to settle. Before the bond was unable to complete X opened his eyes and looked Beau straight in the eye. Jackie watched as the rejection was being lifted and the connection began to take place. Jackie couldn't believe what she was seeing, normally it would be to early for a bond to take place. That was when she realised what was truly happening, Beau wouldn't normally be able to bond unless he had seen X before hand. She was determined to find out, but for now she allowed to be. She saw a quick flash of happiness in Beau's eyes before it fading and he slightly collapsed. X was quick to catch the boy, turned out that Beau was exhausted by the bonding. After everyone split up, big cats that hadn't been bonded going with families who didn't seem to worried about anything.
"Is this what you believed what would happen?" Jackie turned to Jet.
"I didn't think or believe that it would be like this." Jet paused. "I believed that this introduction wouldn't have gone to well... I was clearly wrong."
"X seems happy." Jackie murmured as she noticed the pair coming towards them.
"He finally has found his bond." Jet murmured.
"Chief Talon. I need to tell you something." Beau murmured under his breathe.
"What is it?" Jackie asked, sounding concerned.
"I had been sneaking out to bond with X." Beau confessed.
"X?" Jackie raised her eyebrow.
"I named him that because of the x two of his stripes make on his cheek." Beau replied.
"I think that it is a... Perfect name." Jackie smiled.
"So your not angry?" Beau said lowering his head.
"I am angry that you snuck out without anyone knowing. But than again I did the same thing... Multiple times." Jackie smiled sweetly. "As a matter of fact you remind of myself when I was your age. You are pretty similar to me, just in a male form."
"Thanks. And I am sorry, it won't happen again." Beau apologised.
"I don't think it will." Jackie said before looking at X.
After Beau left Jackie and Jet strolled through the streets before returning home. Jackie longed for a goodnight sleep, it didn't take her long to fall into the deep sleep she was looking for.

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Jackie was woken by a gut wrenching smell, she woke Jet before trying to figure out what the scent was. But Jet had figured it out before Jackie had the chance.
"Fire!" Jet growled as she busted the door open.
Jackie followed Jet yelling out fire as she went, Rider was the first to respond and came racing down after her. Jackie mounted Jet whilst Rider followed with Koa, they ran along the streets yelling fire and waking those who were still sleeping. As they turned the corner the smell of smoke and the brightness of burning flames became clearer. Devastation sunk as Jackie realised what was burning, the weaponry. The tribes folk began lining up and passing buckets down to the weaponry to put out the flames.
"Jackie, there is someone inside!" Rider pointed out to her.
Amongst the roaring sounds of people yelling, the crackle of timber breaking, the smell of smoke that covered the sky above them and the burning flames that engulfed the weaponry was surely someone. Jackie nodded to Jet, the pair racing towards the flames, Jackie could feel the heat of fire as she grew closer. They leaped through the remainder of the door, as they landed they watched as the door broke and fell causing the front to cave in.
"Call out!" Jackie instructed.
At first there was not a sound or a peep, until she heard spluttering and heavy coughing. Jet jumped as the timber roof caved in even more behind them, forcing them further into the flames. Jackie leaned into Jet as they made their way to the person. Once they were there they watched the remainder of the door cave in, sending up embers and allowing the flames grow. Jackie dismounted Jet and lifted the person onto Jet's back before holding onto Jet's side. As they walked Jackie could hear the remainder of the roof creaking and splitting. There was a window on their left hand side which gave an escape route, Jackie began to cough as smoke filled her lungs and the flames burnt her eyes. The roof creaked and shuddered even more, stumbling Jackie fell to the ground. Jet paused and at that moment to roof gave in to the flames below. The panther jumped as the roof collapsed behind her, leaving Jackie to splutter on the other side.
"Jackie!" Jet called out to her.
"Go! Get them out of here!" Jackie instructed Jet before continuing her coughing fit.
"I am not leaving without you!" Jet demanded.
"You must." Jackie murmured, before stumbling out of the way as the last of the roof came down.
Jet growled with frustration before leaping through the last of window, Jackie smiled before covering herself as embers flew up in a desperate attempt enter the sky. Jackie gasped as the railings caved in on her. She felt complete pain and shock tremble through her body. Smoke rose and lingered around her, she began spluttering once more as smoke entered her lungs. Dragging herself from underneath the pile of burning wood, she began to feel faint and light-headed. Now that she had escaped the new fuel to the fire she couldn't bring herself to get up. Her arms ached and legs were numb. Failure got the best of her, she gave up. She allowed her hand that had gotten a hold of the last of the stairs to fall in front of her. Her head resting on the ash covered ground and the odd black spots began to appear. Her breathing weakened every time and she began to allow the smoke to choke her from inside. She could feel blood running down the side of her face, but yet she didn't care. She watched the fire run havoc, trying to spread onto other houses to fuel its hunger for destruction.
"What a horrible site." A voice murmured.
Jackie forced herself to look towards the place the voice had come from. In front of her, about 10 metres away was a big cat. It stalked slowly yet cautiously towards her, Jackie couldn't make out who it was.
"What a shame that Ziambe can't be here to see this." The voice murmured once more.
"You won't get away with this." Jackie crocked, she could feel the heat of the flames behind her.
"Really?" The voice said, sounding slightly surprised. "I'm sorry to burst your bubble but I think that we already have."
Jackie heard a window shatter off in the distance.
"Well that's my signal. I hope that we will see each other soon." The voice murmured in her ear before leaving.
Just as they left Jackie recognised that the big cat wasn't alone, by its side was a human. She felt little feeling in her fingers and by now her vision was blurring and beginning to fade.