Centuries Long Love || Cartaphilus/Joseph (Discontinuted)

Chapter 13

"Is that... you?"
~
I confirmed Chise's suspicion, but my answer didn't satisfy her. "But it's ginger..." I nodded before reminding her about our encounter with Cartaphilus. "My hair was ginger when I transformed, remember?" My eyes focused on the mammal's gash, which ran along its abdomen diagonally. My scar began aching when I stared at the image; I massaged my stomach to soothe the pain but to no avail. The robin's eyes shifted between the lily-coloured tiger and me. After I grunted, I adjusted to it before Chise questioned my actions; sweat rolled down my face when I reassured her. I clenched my stomach as the ginger tiger shivered.

"We got a good one today." The feline's chest raised unsteadily while the hunters snickered around the restrained animal. The lead hunter tossed his—half-full—beer bottle at the tiger when it struggled to move. A roar cried out as the alcoholic drink seeped into its wounds; the pre-existing slash released more blood while the new ones held shards of glass. "Oi, shut your trap, you stupid cat." Before the carnivore could react, a soiled construction boot stepped on the tiger's mouth as the remaining huntsmen 'accidentally' split their liquor over his injuries; the group cackled at the muffled howls from the feline.

Behind a narrow tree, Luka disguised herself in the shadow of the trunk when she heard the commotion. Her beige cloak, as well as her pastel blue dress, stuck out like a sore thumb. However, she concentrated on the helpless tiger. The mage, in training, winced at the wails before she used her magic to blind the malicious men; screams of confusion echoed in the open area of the forest. The orange tiger noticed Luka while she squinted at the scene. She made eye contact with the yellow irises before flashing the animal a quick salute. As she prepared herself mentally, Luka dashed towards the tiger with splashes of water behind; her Rapunzel-length hair swayed although she stumbled over it slightly. Before the hunters regained their vision, the Sleigh Beggy's magic teleported the pair to the Celestial Sea.

Giggles sounded behind Luka when the bird-like creature fluttered around her head, "I can't believe you almost tripped over your hair." She shoved her face into her hands to conceal her humiliation. After the Sleigh Beggy cooled herself down, she sulked at the Ariel, "At least I didn't run away at the sound of the roar!" This time, the jade fairy flicked her body away from Luka before crossing their arms; they continued to bicker until the mage tumbled over her hair again. Admitting defeat, she readied a pair of scissors before remembering something. As she handed the sharp tool to the Ariel, Luka kneeled beside the tiger while she apologised profusely. A high-pitched voice snapped the Sleigh Beggy out of her trance, "Stop saying 'sorry' and just help them."

Sprinting to her small cabin, Luka snatched a roll of bandages, but also a clean cloth, off the shelf before grabbing a bucket. When she bolted towards the magical sea, determination masked Luka's face as she filled the metal container with liquid. She settled the bucket beside the ginger tiger before cutting the rope around its legs. After warning the large cat, the brown-haired girl began to clean the blood on its pearl-coloured fur, only to receive deep scratches from her left shoulder to the middle of her chest. After she collapsed, several neighbours peered from the trees to witness Luka screeching; a majority of the faeries covered their ears and eyes to avoid the painful squeals. As she clutched her injuries, the attacker gawked at its victim with regretful eyes before toppling to its back.

Blood pooled around Luka until a glaring light surrounded her. An echoing voice made the neighbours scurry away from the incident, "You hybrid. How dare you hurt someone who is aiding you." The animal—under discussion—cowered as the authoritative tone scolded him; its eyes averted to Luka. The red soaked into her ivory cloak while her skin began to lose its colour. "I shall give you a well-deserved punishment: death." The Sleigh Beggy reached out to her guardian angel to stop him although she couldn't see his figure in the cloud of light. A strained yet soft voice called out to the holy entity, "Raphael, n—no..." The body of brilliance vanished to reveal Luka's guardian angel although his eyes strayed from its icy hue: his irises matched the colour of the puddle around Luka.