††† Siegfried †††

Siegfried looked over his shoulder with worry as they followed the stream north. "They are too fast, Haylee. They'll catch up quickly at this rate."

Haylee squinted her eyes, trying to spot them in the distance. "How are you even able to see them from here? I can't see anything," she complained.

Sieg didn't comment on that. It was hard to admit, but his endurance was nearing its limits, and he had to save his breath. They were walking, running and fighting for more than a whole day without sleep. He had tucked his raincoat back into the rucksack, leaving him with only his leather trousers and the enforcer's blade, but he was still sweating heavily by now. It was both comforting and irritating to see how effortless the cat-girl continued onwards.

The humongous, brown-green edge of the woods was drawing nearer by the minute. The dense undergrowth was already visible— a vibrant green, contrasting against the brown bark of the surrounding trees. Siegfried continued to watch the enforcers' advances every odd minute. The blinking red lights came closer at a frightening speed. He was already able to make out the red mantles when the flash dimmed.

"I can see their glow now," Haylee informed him, picking up the pace once again. "Shouldn't be long until they spot us too. We have to be in the woods before that. They're faster than I hoped," she confirmed Sieg's concern. The enforcers only hadn't caught up yet, because they needed to regularly watch the riverbank for footprints.

As soon as the odd couple reached the forest, Haylee pointed at a massive, brown root. "We get out over there and try to stay on the roots and stones if possible. Don't leave any tracks for them." The root, stemming from one of the broadest trees around, wound over the ground like a huge snake until it reached the water and submerged. It looked as if the giant was cautiously dipping a toe into the stream, feeling the water's temperature. Siegfried would have loved to appreciate the impressive scenery were it not for the deadly squad of executioners chasing after them.

Haylee navigated a path through the green thicket— careful to stay on hard ground and not break any branches or plants that would disclose their route to the enemy. Siegfried followed to the best of his ability and thankfully managed to avoid leaving a trace either. But their pace was slow, and his nerves blank by now.

"Haylee, they will reach the forest any moment! We can't—"

"Shut up and focus on your steps!" the cat-girl harshly shot him down. "I have a plan!"

Sieg closed his mouth and followed. He had not seen Haylee that tense before. Apparently, she was as anxious as him about the squad following them. But she also seemed to know where she was going, so he could only trust in her for now.

"There, that overgrown lump at the base," Haylee pointed at a mound of moss, sticks and leaves, nestled against a tree. Hidden between two man-sized roots, Sieg would have missed it from a distance. "That's a clawbear's den. Follow each of my steps and keep quiet. If we're lucky, it's empty."

Siegfried didn't ask what would happen if they were not lucky. Whatever that clawbear was, their pursuers were undoubtedly no third-class enforcers, so the bear was preferable.

When they climbed along the root, the broad entrance to the lair became visible just behind the small mound. The cat-girl slipped quietly from the ledge into the den in a single, fluid motion. Siegfried followed with far less grace but still silent enough. The tunnel itself was actually far more spacious than he imagined. It followed directly beneath one of the tree's roots, using it as a stabiliser for the ceiling. As they sneaked further in — if one could call Siegfried's attempt sneaking — the last ray of light was quickly consumed by darkness. The moist air, combined with the earthy, thick smell, weighted down on the former city dweller. He had never been below the earth — sewers didn't really count — and his mind wandered. He imagined the dirt above him to come down and bury him or a red glow flashing from behind, trapping them with no way out. Or even the deadly, chitin-armoured leg of a spider suddenly stabbing him out of the blackness around them.

Sieg was unconsciously breathing heavier until he felt a soft, small hand squeezing his own. Haylee's hand. That small gesture of reassurance brought him back far enough to realise that there was a dim white glow in front of them. They entered a small, round cavern. A single, thin ray of light was falling down from a tiny hole above. It was hardly enough for Sieg to make out Haylee's silhouette but still calming his anxiousness. He noticed the cat-girl nodding her head at him and sit down on the ground. They came far enough, and now they could only wait, hoping that their pursuers would give up.

It was hard to keep track of time in the dark, but a sense of tranquillity had already settled when a sudden, dull thump disturbed the quiet. Sieg could feel weak vibrations through the ground he sat on, and there was another thump. They both stayed utterly silent, not daring to breathe for a while. A minute went by, and Siegfried allowed himself to hope that it had been the sound of an enforcer speeding along the surface and passing them by. The squad member would be far ahead by now if that was the case.

A guttural, deep growl reverberating through the cavern walls told him that it didn't matter what the sound above was. Because it had woken up a more immediate threat.

††† Ryden †††

An eerie silence had set over the forest. Ryden couldn't hear a single bird chirping, not a leave rustling in the canopy. It was as if the woods didn't dare to breathe anymore. There was a new apex predator in the area, and no one wanted to arouse its ire.

One of the Nivetian scouts approached the plateau silently. He was young and more on the slender side, compared to the hunters Ryden had seen. When the scout spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper, "Samuel, they dispersed in all directions. Can't track them, but at least one enforcer sped by this area. Unlikely that they'll return here without a lead."

"Good Job, Reggie," the older hunter replied. "What about those two?"

"Hid in a clawbear's den. Enforcer went by there already, but the bear's likely inside."

Samuel threw a glance at Ryden and let out a deep sigh.