Grandeur Defector

XLIX

Well, isn't this familiar?
A lone man battered and bloody, running against the clock. His military boots hit the ground nimbly with each step, careful in his footing by nature, calculating every mistake that could go wrong... and there were many ways this plan could go wrong. In fact, Truffles didn't even have a plan; all he wanted was to find his partner before enemy tigers found the cruelty within them. Their method of torture for prisoners of war was never ethical, their mercy nonexistent to even their own. It didn't matter who they were torturing, as long as the tortured suffered the entire time. No birds of paradise sung, no stars hung in their places above the sky. Clouds covered the moon and shadows caked the earth, but he kept running.
If there are no stars to see my steps tonight, then may the wrath of divine justice follow me, if divinity truly exists in some capacity.
Past the marked tree line he fled, turning towards the direction of the orange market the best he could remember. He had been running for at least a mile, and his legs were tiring from the effort. His heart beat fast with no letting up.
I need to find him. I have to.

He felt the ground beginning to slope downwards slightly, trees becoming less thick. It would be at least another mile before he could get to the orange market, but as the last rays of sunset died into darkness, it was getting easier to see through the dusky veil. The jungle was thick and humid, small patches of low hanging fog already setting in, a sight ghastly and foreboding. Truffles slowed his pace, feet burning from the nonstop effort of long distance running; he crouched down for breath, heaving for air precious to his lungs.
Focus...I can do this. I can find him.
Tigers are nocturnal.
Tigers have excellent night vision, greater than most night visioned nightwalkers to roam the shadows. His sense of smell wasn't as keen as an orange tiger's— one of the few disadvantages of being blue— but his eyes were much sharper than he led on, able to pinpoint small movement within the leaves under complete darkness. The sound of his heart beat in his ears, almost deafening.
He paused, closed his eyes hard, and opened his eyes again. As he scanned the undergrowth for any signs of struggle, he kept his tail on the ground for any nearby vibrations, fur smoothed to avoid false detection.
He waited.

Nothing but the sound of crickets and a frog croaking.

Truffles narrowed his eyes.
A frog...? Frogs usually live near water. There's no water source in this area. Perhaps there's a camp nearby-?
He kept walking for what seemed like 20 minutes, mind and eyes scanning every leaf and branch he could see. No blood nor sign of struggle was visible. He took a left into the trees, his fur brushing against rough tree bark as he stared into the abyssal blackness.
A frog croaked again, louder now.
Truffles stood still and waited.

Nothing.

Truffles huffed in annoyance and took a step forward. A loud croak sounded in front of him; he stared towards the little noise. A green frog the size of his hand sat on a leaf peacefully on a trunk vine, it's little amphibian legs sprawled on its perch. At eye level, it's massive amphibian eyes stared into his for a moment. It croaked again and then hopped onto the tiger's uniform, making him jerk by surprise. He eyed the frog on his left breast.
Uh... oh, hello. You are large for your species, frog.

It blinked absentmindedly and croaked again. Truffles gently grabbed the frog from his uniform jacket, feeling the squishy body move in protest within his closed palm; he carefully placed the frog back onto the leaf it once lay on, and the frog climbed off his hand and onto the flora with ease.
Truffles tail wagged against his consciousness with elation at finding a new jungle friend among the loneliness of solitude.
I don't see frogs often, but I find them to be very endearing. I hope this little frog finds his way, where ever that may be.

...The distant sound of laughter.

He whipped his head to the left, ears twitching from the new sound. Like radars his ears moved nonstop.