Reborn as a Side Character in the Beastworld

Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-nine

Still wrapped within the safety of Lance's coils and holding my cubs to my chest, I heard Winston's' voice before I saw him.

"Shuu and the others?" came his deep voice that poured into me like a warm drink.

Lance's coils loosened from their protective grip around me. "At the top of the falls." He picked me up, cubs and all, and held me away from his chest. "Take Bailey and the cubs. I'll go get the wolf and Kit."

"Kit is in the village." My tiger said as he took me. "He came down with the peacock and the mer female." My muscles that had been trembling with tension stilled. My cub was safe.

"Good. Take her back. I won't be long." Lance said before shifting into his full beast form and with a swiftness I'd never seen before, sped off upriver. I looked up into Winston's reassuring silver eyes.

He let his love and relief for my safety fill them. "It will be alright. Lance will bring Shuu back."

I closed my eyes in fear of the emotions trying to overtake me and leaned my head against his chest, "Muir, Carl, and Patrick... If Alva came down with Qin then they must still be up there as well."

"Then the snake will get them too. Let's go down." He said, kissing the top of my head.

Winston headed back down to our home. After a few minutes of walking in silence and letting my eyes gaze at nothing, I noticed a streak of gold and blue in the water. Now normally that wouldn't have been anything too strange but the streaks were headed against the current. They were gone before I could get a good look at what it was. Then, a couple of minutes later, we crossed paths with a group of males from our village led by Laura's black-eared fox male. They only spared us a glance and some nods as they continued their swift march to where the ambush was taking place.

Our home, which was closer than the village, was already occupied by Tristan and Kit waiting for us on the front porch. Kit ran excitedly to circle Winston's legs and Winston set me down on my feet. He took the quietly perceptive Baek and Tora from me, so I could hold Kit. I breathed in my son's smell, assuring myself that he was safe. Then Tristan came over, brushing my shoulders with his tail before taking off to follow the group of villagers. Though Lance might be enough to quell the ambush on his own, it was reassuring to know that our side would no longer be outnumbered. Anxiety still stabbed my gut for Shuu, but once again, the only thing I could do was wait. I placed a hand on my side where Shuu's mark was still visible and prayed to the beast god to keep him safe.

Even though waiting and praying was all I could do, I could at least choose where I was going to do it. I looked up at my ever-dependable Tiger King, "Let's go into town. If anyone is injured, they'll have to go to the clinic. Let's wait there for them." Though Winston's mouth thinned into a tight line, he didn't refuse me and picked me up once more. I knew he was worried about me seeing the state of the males that returned from battle, but I was determined to be there for them. Maybe I could even help treat their wounds.

It took Lance only moments to get to the top of the falls, but he was already late. Bodies of beasts both whole and in pieces were strewn upon the blood-soaked ground. Among the carnage, there was only one beast he recognized. Patrick's form lay motionless, surrounded by beasts of unknown origin that he had taken down with him as he met his end. The dead included two two-marked beasts and one tri-marked one. Patrick's body was covered in severe wounds, but it was his head twisted to face his back and connected only by a bit of sinew that had finally killed the tiger. The male had fought savagely and as far as deaths went, it was a good end for him to have died defending what was important to him. Lance did not let feelings of regret or sadness shade Patrick's honorable sacrifice. He would come back for the body later and give the tiger a proper burial. But first, he had to follow the indications of battle to find Shuu, Carl, and Muir. He did hope he would find them alive as Bailey, who would already shed tears over this death, would surely be crushed by any others.

A splash made him look at the river. Two mers appeared in the river and were instantly on guard against the snake. Lance, knowing exactly who they must be, smirked. "Don't waste my time. If you are here at the merfemale's request, then be useful and travel further upriver. I don't see my mate's wolf so they must still be fighting nearby."

"Who are you to-!" the blue-haired mer started but the mer king stilled him with an outstretched hand. Jin had quickly realized this male was likely a village female's mate and even if he wasn't, the two of them would be no match against him. The snake was not hiding his beast pressure and it was clearer than water that he was no no-mark. "Leave it, Bluepool. We'll search further up." Bluepool frowned a little but did as he was told. The mers disappeared in a flash of scales.

That was just as well in Lance's mind because outside of the water, the mers would be close to useless. Better for them to stay in their comfort zone and out of his way. Putting the fish from his mind, Lance followed the traces of blood and broken branches further upriver. The body of a lion, a hundred feet from where he'd started, told him he was on the right track. He laid his massive body flat to the ground and felt for vibrations, then swiftly headed in the direction they felt strongest.

Away from the river into the denser forest, the tracks of disturbed earth led to a sudden drop-off. Lance curled the end of his tail around the base of a tree and leaned over to see what was below. At the bottom of a twenty-foot drop were three males with their backs to the cliffs. It was Shuu, Carl, and Muir. Shuu was on his side looking half dead. Muir and Carl were both covered with so many wounds that not one part of their body was clean, but they were both still standing somehow. Feathers and blood covered the ground. The three were surrounded by a half circle of nine other beasts, all with scars or strange coloring. Rootless, and two of which were tri-marked. Lance didn't wait to see how Muir and Carl would fare against so many. They'd done enough just by staying alive this long.

Lance dropped from the cliff's edge to land between the two groups. Caught by surprise, all the beasts hesitated, giving Lance the time to swiftly scoop up two in his coils, crush them, and rip through another with his fangs. By the time they recovered from their initial shock, it was too late. Lance was like a tempest of muscle and teeth. Crushing and ripping apart the last of the males quickly despite their defenses. Heads were ripped from bodies and torsos were crushed like soda cans. Some tried to flee but none succeeded. The ground that had already been damp was now flooded as the beast's blood rained down.

When it was done, Lance shifted and turned to the wolf, eagle, and tiger. At the sight of the familiar snake, both Carl and Muir allowed their injuries and fatigue to catch up with them and collapsed onto the ground breathing heavily. Muir had a badly twisted leg and the blood from the wounds on his chest soaked his feathers. Carl's tail was broken and nearly severed in the middle. His arms, neck, and chest were also a mess of deep gashes. A chunk of his right forearm was missing. But it was Shuu that made the snake frown. The wolf could hardly keep his eyes open. They were glazed over and only the slow rise and fall of his chest was any indication he was still alive. He was missing half of an ear but it was his stomach wound that had Lance clicking his tongue. The wolf's stomach had been torn open from hip to chest and parts of his intestine had slipped out. Left like this, the wolf was sure to die a slow, painful death.

Lance shifted his tail and approached. He lifted one of the green scales below his waist and pulled out three tiny clear gems. He grabbed the wolf's muzzle and shoved the gems down his throat. The wolf instinctively gagged and tried to shake his head out of the snake's grasp.

"Eat it wolf. You're not allowed to die yet. Bailey's waiting for you." Lance said, refusing to let the wolf open his maw until the gems had dissolved. With the energy the gems provided, the cloudy eyes cleared a little and Shuu looked and Lance with comprehension and then determination. "Good. Don't give up. Once you're sewn up, I'll let you have an emerald. You just have to hang on until then."

Lance picked up the massive canine like he weighed nothing, careful of the exposed entrails. "Can you two still walk? If not, I'll send someone for you." Muir shook his beak and stayed on the ground still catching his breath. Carl stood up and, though he limped, started heading in the direction of the river without a word.

"Wait here and relax bird. The fox will be here soon." Muir nodded and Lance slithered off towards the village and the clinic. He could tell by the vibrations that reinforcements were already nearby. They would follow his scent here and find the eagle. There was nothing to be concerned about. He knew the fox would likely come with them and any remaining enemies would be dealt with. He also suspected that the healer would be waiting for the wounded. He just hoped Bailey had stayed home so she wouldn't have to see the males she cared for in this state.