The Jewel of Orlegon

Chapter 14: Black and Gold

As the predator advanced toward her with agility, Alteria was pierced by an almost painful surge of adrenaline, realizing that she would be captured within moments if she remained crouched at the base of the tree. Her entire body suddenly screamed at her to get up and flee, but the little clarity she had left whispered that she could never escape her pursuer if she started running. She needed to find another solution. In its path, the creature snatched a torch from one of the bandits who futilely resisted, giving Alteria precious seconds to rise.

In the still-dark recesses of her hiding spot, the young woman didn't feel the intense discomfort of her absent body, as if moving in darkness. She managed to stand up, trying to make as little noise as possible, and frantically, blindly sought to reach the low branches of the tree against which she had taken refuge. She remembered choosing not to tie Boreas' reins there, as those very branches would have prevented the horse from taking shelter under the canopy. Simultaneously, she kept an eye on the semi-humanoid predator, which was quickly resuming its course toward her.

A shiver of hope surged through Alteria as her hand finally found the sturdy support of a thick branch, which she grasped quickly to hoist herself into the tree just as the torch's light began illuminating the area. Alteria was used to scaling the lush vegetation that covered the slopes of Nimeo's volcano, so it took her no more than twenty seconds to reach a height she deemed sufficient to escape the predator—provided it didn't occur to him to search for her in the trees. To quell her trembling, she clung firmly to the tree trunk, so tightly that the bark scratched her skin on her face and arms.

Below her, her pursuer arrived at the tree's base and began inspecting the spot where Alteria had been seconds before. Despite its almost animalistic appearance, its behavior demonstrated evident intelligence—likely far superior to that of those employing it. Crouched not far from the roots, it examined the young woman's previous hiding place, using the torchlight to reveal every detail. That's when she understood how the predator had managed to discover her location so quickly. The dry grass had been bent under the weight of her body, now revealing a roughly oval shape that betrayed the recent presence of someone lying down.

Still pressed against the tree trunk, Alteria suppressed a gasp of amazement as she realized the predator had likely spotted her the moment its accomplice illuminated the area to investigate the source of his fall. He had deliberately chosen not to immediately reveal her position to the other bandits. However, she couldn't fathom why he had protected her from the first one only to yield to the chief's request later. Had the predator anticipated the cruel game Moro would subject his men to? Did he have an interest in stoking the chief's impatience to secure a better reward once he finally found the object of their desire?

The prey and trophy of the night didn't have time to dwell on her ponderings. As her companions noisily conducted a disorganized search around the camp, the tracker had risen and was now scanning the canopy above him. For a moment, Alteria feared her Paniosat would fail her, feeling compelled to verify her body's invisibility again, which generated a fresh wave of discomfort. Her blood froze as she turned her gaze from her body's absence back to the underlying threat, for the creature was looking at her. Finally, Alteria could see its eyes clearly.

If she had ever tried to imagine the gaze of this predator, she could never have come close to the reality. Amidst that angular face with its barely tamed thick dark mane and prominent canines, illuminating the dangerous beauty and unexpected majesty of this creature, were two gems of gold and obsidian. At least, that was the impression Alteria got when she locked eyes with her pursuer, hypnotized by the intricate pattern in its eyes, compelled to decipher the complex gold motif that sharpened as she observed it. The tracker's gaze swept briefly over the foliage, visibly attempting to pinpoint his prey's location, and confirming to Alteria that what she had initially mistaken for two jewels set in sockets were indeed natural eyes.