I stared at Kat as she gazed at the sky. A deep, elongated sigh washed over her as the fire crackled. I narrowed my eyes slightly. It was obvious she was keeping something to herself. It was obvious from the moment she woke up near the forest. She looked tired and almost defeated in a way.

To give away one of her weapons? That didn’t

seem like her. Katsai is always protective of her knives, never letting them out of her sight. It was odd, really. Why all of a sudden now? Even if it’s for an ally, why give away something you treasured? I shook my head slowly as the flame flickered. I wish she would just tell me this shit.

I turned my gaze to the flame, watching as embers flickered into the air before fading to a whisper. Genesis prodded the burning grass and sticks, pushing the pieces deeper into the blistering core. A hiss erupted as the grass caught flame first. The dried plants burned quickly, turning black and wilting into nothing but ash.

Katsai turned on her side, pulling her cloak over her body in the form of a makeshift blanket. She didn’t say a word, but after a few minutes, her breathing slowed. I looked to Genesis, who was still poking at the eager flames. She looked up at me. With a blink, she placed down the stick before standing up.

“You can sleep. I’ll take the first watch.” She hummed, ready to move up to the hill that stood to our left.

“No.” I grumbled, returning to staring at the flames.

“Kagin, you haven’t slept for three days. If you keep going, you won’t be able to do anything to help her. I’ll wake you if anything happens, I swear on it.”

I looked to the side in indecisiveness. I’ve gotten this far without any sleep, what’s another night? A deep sigh left my lungs as I looked back up.

“Fine, just wake me up in a few hours in time for my shift.”

“Deal.” Genesis turned to make her way up to the hill. At the top, she sat down to lean on her palms. The world drifted into a peaceful silence while the fire crackled softly. My gaze shifted to Kat’s sleeping form.

With soft movements, I stood. I felt the fire from before rage through my bones. Paws met soft earth as I lowered my head. Scents of the caesal from before flooded my senses as a small huff blew across the flattened blades of grass. It felt nice to be in this form again.

I padded to Kat’s backside before slowly curling around her protectively. I stared at the top of her head for a long second. The conversation from three days prior sprouted in my head as I felt my conscience slowly fade.

“Whatever plan you have for doing this alone, it won’t work. You know that and yet, you still try to push us away...You won’t get rid of me that easily.”

I’ll make sure that damned King won’t get anywhere near you. The world faded to black as I fell into the realm of dreaming.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My eyes blinked open as conversation flooded my ears. Crickets still chirped while a fire still burned its heat against my back.

“You didn’t sleep, did you?” The quiet whispers of Genesis and Kat seemed to bounce off the blades of grass in loud waves. The whispers were like loud yells against the silence of the early morning air. No birds or any other creatures except for those annoying-as-hell crickets.

“What does it matter? I had two full days of sleep. I can go one night.” I was still curled up, but Kat’s scent was hours old. She moved a while ago.

“I can tell it isn’t about that, Katsai.” Was she trying to get Kat to spill?

“I can ensure you, it is. Look, I am fine. I am not tired. I do not need sleep, but you and Kagin do. It’s the least I can do after you guys looked after me.” A sigh answered her.

“Fine, you can take the shift. It’s almost morning anyway.”

“Great. Get some sleep.”

“Katsai.” I heard the quick inhale from the short brunette. “You can’t keep hiding, you know. It’ll eat you up.”

“You don’t think I know that?” The reply wasn’t quick or hostile, but more melancholy. It was more like she accepted it. “Like I told Kagin, some thing’s need to stay hidden.”

“Nothing stays hidden, Kat. I think you know that.”

“Don’t say that like you aren’t hiding anything either. From one hider to the next, you know damn well that it isn’t that easy.” Silence met her which gave Kat a chance to keep going. “I know you and Kagin have your own secrets, so let me keep mine. I don’t give a damn if it kills me in the end. As long as it stays buried, I’m fine.”

“Keep telling yourself that. I know it doesn’t help. From one hider to the next.” The sound of Genesis shifting seemed to end the conversation as Katsai didn’t answer. Minutes passed as silence took over once again. After what felt like hours, the sound of Katsai standing rustled the blades of grass.

The soft crunch of footsteps began to move away from the camp, following the bent stalks of grass that Genesis had created earlier. With slow movements, I lifted my head from my paws. I watched as Kat slowly climbed the hill before sitting at the top with her legs pulled to her chest. As the sun peeked over the horizon, I could start to pick out her features. Her hands fiddled with her ring, twisting it around her digit slowly. Dark lines had formed underneath her eyes, and those ice-blue irises stared at the sky with a blank gaze, as if she weren’t there.

My gaze turned to Genesis who was still very much awake. She was laying on her side, watching the last of the fire’s embers die out. She was thinking, by the looks of it. I slowly rose to my feet. The fire in my bones began to cool, like that of water being thrown on a raging flame. With a yawn, I ran a hand through my messed-up hair.

“May I ask why no one woke me up for my shift?” Genesis gazed up at me before yawning herself.

“You looked like you were having a great dream. Didn’t want to disturb that. Kat was up instead, so we just talked.” I looked to Kat again, noticing she jumped at the sound of our voices. She rubbed the back of her neck as she looked down at me,

“So the sleeping lion decides to wake up.” She chuckled awkwardly before lowering her hand back down.

“Don’t start making king of the jungle jokes, dwarf. In case you’ve forgotten, it’s my turn for the jokes for the next three days.” I crossed my arms as I watched her pout. She picked up a pebble before tossing it to the fields below.

“No fun.” She mumbled, barely audible over the wind. I shook my head as Genesis sat up. She slowly grabbed the sheathed dagger that Katsai had given her the night before. She gazed at it for a long second before gazing at herself. She made a face before just tucking the weapon underneath her ankle-bracelet and hiding it with her pants.

“I guess I’ll have to pick something up for it at the village.” She stretched before kicking at the fire, letting the remains blow away in the wind. She then picked up the rocks that surrounded the flame and tossed them into the underbrush. “There. No evidence anyone was here.”

I bent down, picking up the packs and slinging them around my shoulder. I looked at the two with a bored gaze before Katsai hummed.

“Genesis?”

“What now?” Genesis replied, looking up at the shadow-mage.

“Did you happen to notice anything on your shift?”

“What, no?”

“Well, we kinda have an issue.” She laughed with a small smile. I gazed at her with confusion.

“What is it, Kat? And if it’s an issue, why would you be laughing?” She gazed down at me with amusement.

“It’s not a big threat, per say, but rather a very annoying obstacle that I find amusing.”

“Just spill it.”

“Giga bison migration, twelve-o-clock.” She chuckled, pointing to the North. “It’s rather odd you didn’t see or hear anything, Genesis. Those things are massive.” My interest shot up as I quickly climbed the hill to stand by her side. Genesis soon followed my lead as we stared out across the plains.

“Holy cow.”

“Holy cow, indeed.”

Massive cows with fur the color of rust littered the plains before us. Long, shaggy fur hung from their hide while bobbed tails, like those of deer, flicked every now and then. Their heads hung low as they grazed. They didn’t have the traditional snout of the cattle used for farming. No, it was more like a pig’s snout, scrunched and great for digging up roots. Two pairs of tusks curled from their upper lips, short ones for the females and impossibly-long ones for the males. The smallest of the adults was easily twice the height of my lion form. The largest could even contest against Genesis’s dragon.

“Never seen a Giga bison herd. It makes you

wonder how in the hell people are able to obtain their hides.” Genesis nodded in agreement as we stared out over the massive herd. Katsai laughed as something seemed to cross her mind.

“I don’t know but maybe they just roll out a whole line of cannons and start playing ‘hit the target’ on members of the herd.”

“That’s horrible.” Genesis muttered which seemed to fuel Kat’s laughter by tenfold.

I stared at the bovine with narrowed eyes. The herd seemed to stretch for at least four kilometers in each direction. To add to the challenge, every few yards would be a bull with long and twisted horns that curled around their ears like that of a ram. I tapped Katsai on the shoulder. She stopped laughing as she looked up at me.

“Seeing as you read scrolls for a living, any plans on how to get past them?”

Katsai turned her head to look out over the herd. She hummed as she leaned back on her hands, and chewed on her bottom lip before letting out a breath.

“Alright. Giga bison are docile in nature, but on any indication of aggression or suspicion, they will immediately cluster around their young with the bulls at the ends. Seems reasonable, right? Wrong. The bulls will charge the target without hesitation the minute we step inside the herd. These aren’t the type of cattle that run in a stampede. They choose fight over flight any day.

So, in order to get past them, we need to move with slow movements through the middle of the herd. I suggest choosing a path with the least amount of bulls to cows ratio. If we do get charged, there is only one thing to do. Run like hell.” I saw a smirk dart across her face for a split second before it faded. She looked back up at us to find both me and Genesis staring at her blankly.

“What?”

“I don’t get you sometimes.”

“Huh?”

“Forget about it.”

“What if I fly a few miles above you? Perhaps I can keep an eye on the herd as well as keep track of how far you’ve gotten.” Katsai looked up at Genesis for a second before nodding.

“It could work, if you somehow manage to keep from spooking the herd. If you spook them, me and Kagin will be dead.” Genesis thought for a second before looking up at the sky. Clouds littered the blue expanse, predicting the upcoming rainy-season.

“Those clouds will keep my shadow from touching the ground, but my vision will be impaired.”

“I’d rather take that option than death by being impaled.” Genesis nodded before stepping back to transform. “Wait, wait, wait!”

Genesis halted, confusion darting across her complexion. Katsai stood up, pointing to the opposite side of the hill where the ground dipped into a little valley.

“Transform down there. If you do it up here, you’ll alert the herd. Your scales are quite shiny in this sunlight. You too, Kagin, just as a precaution. I am surprised they haven’t been alerted to our presence up to now, but I guess it’s our lucky day.”

“Wait, why would I transform, wouldn’t that be perceived as a threat?” Katsai gazed at me before nodding in agreement.

“Yes, but unlike Genesis, your form can walk silently. Not only that, but if we do get charged, you can easily jump out of the way. You are a cat, as you greatly stated back in the village, and that’s what we need. Speed, stealth, and agility. In human forms, we won’t be able to dodge a charge from a six ton animal. And unlucky for me, I don’t really have the ability to transform.” She chuckled before looking back over the herd that stood grazing peacefully.

“One other reason for you to be in your form, you are easily half their size. That’ll allow us to sneak under their bellies if we are charged, causing confusion to the creatures and giving us time to escape.”

“How do you think of this stuff so quickly?” She looked at me before laughing softly.

“You have to be quick with escape routes as a thief. Now, are we all ready?” Both me and Genesis nodded as we quickly made our way down the hill.

Grass brushed against my back as the long stalks swallowed our forms. A low hiss erupted from in front of me as Genesis’s form more-than-tripled in height. A scaled head looked to the sky before blue eyes slithered to my right where long plains stretched back from whence we came. Those same eyes then landed on me as a hissing whisper blew over the wind.

“I’ll have to take off farther down from you two. If you hear a low rumble from the sky, it’s a warning of danger, got it? I know Katsai won’t be able to hear it as well as you, so keep your ears perked.” She slowly lowered her head; her neck and back spines slowly disappearing into the grass. The only thing about her that was still visible were her wings which glittered in deep blues and greens in the sunlight.

I stared after the rippling grass as the quiet sound of rattling scales disappeared in the low breeze. I looked at the ground that was barely visible below my feet, watching as the stalks shrunk as I grew. I heard a small laugh come from the hill above me as I poked my head from the stalks.

“Pop goes the weasel. So, that’s where the nursery rhyme comes from!” I glared at Kat before ducking beneath the blades once more, stalking up to her side as the low bellows of the cattle below finally reached my ears.

“I know why we couldn’t hear them. Their rumbles are too low for human ears.” I hummed in thought. Kat let out a small and lengthy ‘oh’ before falling silent once more. Her eyes scanned the herd once more before she looked to the skies. I saw a small stretch over her lips.

“She looks like a vulture.” I followed her gaze. A shadow circled kilometers above us. The massive wingspan looked like a speck an inch wide. The sunlight prevented you from seeing the actual shape of a reptile, giving Genesis the perfect disguise in the morning sun.

“She might not even need the clouds after all.” I looked back to the cattle as Katsai continued. “As for our path, go left. You see the two cows that surround that calf? If we go to the left of them, we won’t encounter a bull for another hundred yards. That should be the easy leg of the journey.”

“And the hard leg?”

“That’s to be determined, my dear fellow.” The brunette chuckled before gesturing to my back. I lifted my front leg, allowing her to step up and swing herself just behind my shoulder blades. I heard the soft swish of fabric as Kat pulled her hood over her head. Her cloak blended her light skin into my raven fur, making it nearly impossible to distinguish her from above.

“Sad thing about this plan is that black doesn’t really blend too well into this grass, but we will have to make do. Now, I won’t be able to make noise as you weave between the herd, but I will give signals with the tiny shadows provided by this grass.” I felt her left hand lift from my back. Within seconds, something dark slithered into view. A thin ribbon of shadows moved between the grass stalks. After a few moments, the little snake of shadow morphed into an arrow that pointed left.

“That was an example, but I can only do that for so long before a calf or something notices the snake-like pattern, so after the first few steps, it’s up to you.” I felt her weight shift as she leaned closer to my back, preparing for the journey ahead. I nodded slowly before moving forward.

The light touch of grass brushed against my sides as the dry vegetation engulfed our forms. I looked to the sky, noticing that Genesis had moved farther ahead. Can’t see through this stupid grass. I hope those cows devour it all. I looked back to the field that stretched before me as the low rumble of the massive cattle pushed in waves through the ground. The vibrations tickled against my paws as I trekked forward.

The musty scent of bovine rushed my senses as one of the cows Kat had mentioned before lumbered past me. The light stomping of a calf soon followed after as the energetic creature frolicked in the fields. I slowly lifted my head above the stalks, trying to distinguish the bull from the cow. My eyes landed on a form a few hundred yards away. It was one of the smaller bulls but still managed to exceed my lion size. My eyes narrowed as I tried to map out a trail in the grass. Aha. With a light flick of my tail, I dove back under the stalks, inching forward as I placed each step carefully. Avoid the twigs and rocks. Go for the soft and soundless soil.

I took in a slow breath as the bull passed to my right. I froze as a sharp rumble pushed through the ground. I urged each and every muscle to hold as the creature lifted its head swiftly. Pure black orbs scanned over my form before it slowly lowered its head to graze once more. This process continued for what felt like days but in all reality, was only two or three hours.

I felt a light tap on my shoulder. I looked over my shoulder to find Kat had lifted her head. She gazed at me a quick second before pointing up ahead. I followed her gesture before seeing emptiness stretch before us. I looked back at her in time to see her mouth the words ‘last leg’. I nodded as I moved with increased speed. Each step just as careful as the last as the grass flew by. I could see the end now. Just a few more yards was all it took to leave the herd behind.

Katsai’s form stilled as a dark figure brushed past us. My eyes flew to the sky to see a figure rush just overhead with blinding speed. The color of gold and rust filled my vision just as the screech resonated over the herd. The startled cry of a calf came next as the bird lodged its talons into the side of the calf before the injured bison fell over. The bird took to the sky again before disappearing in the matter of seconds. I felt Kat turn to stare at the now-bleeding-to-death calf. Her hands dug into my mane as large waves pulsed through the ground. I heard the hooves before I saw the bull.

A low growl of surprise rushed from my vocal chords as I quickly stumbled to the side. The soft brushing of fur rushed past my nose as the bull barreled past me in an enraged mania. The scent of blood, fear, rage, and overall resentment filled the air as the bull skidded to a stop. The dark eyes of the beast locked with my crimson ones. Predator and prey, it was a story as old as time itself. Many depict the predator as being the most menacing with teeth as sharp as daggers and claws like razor blades, but when you are face-to-face with a creature that’s twice your size or more and can easily crush you like a beetle under a boot, your idea of menacing changes.

My muscles tensed as the instinctive will to survive flooded my core. My feline ears twitched as my eyes scanned the bull’s body. It was a waiting game. Who would attack first? Who would throw the first punch? Every part of my body wanted to leap and sink my claws into that creature’s hide. I wanted to lodge my teeth into its jugular and feel the life drain from its body. I wanted to kill.

The light tugging of Kat brought me back to my senses as her voice drowned out the blood pulsing in my ears.

“Element of surprise is gone now, I think it is time we should run.” I barely heard her words as the bull bellowed. It charged again, but seemed to gain more control of its emotions. My eyes widened as the creature rushed straight towards me. The world slowed as I watched its ram-like horns near my face. Acting purely on impulse, my head twisted to grab Kay’s cloak. I pulled her in front of me before standing over her. As the bull drew closer, I felt the growl rise from the back of my throat as I lowered my head.

I placed my foot as if I was going to move left. The bull anticipated this movement and changed its direction of charge. Primal glee shot through my veins as I moved back towards the right, crouching as the bulls stomach flashed overhead. I shot my head upwards, sinking my fangs into its underside. The momentum of the bull’s charge caused the flesh to give way to my teeth, slicing a large gash into the creature’s stomach. The warmth of blood seeped into my mouth as I bit down harder, hearing the pained cries of the creature. I quickly let go as the creature staggered away, leaving behind a blood trail that only grew in size.

I quickly licked the metallic liquid from my mouth before rushing to pick Kat back up. Without wasting time in throwing her back into my spine, I carried her by the back of her cloak like a kitten. Amazingly, she didn’t protest, which was odd but I didn't stop to think about it. The little skirmish obviously attracted the attention of the other bulls and I would not be able to take on that many. I looked to the sky, wanting to see if that eagle was still around but instead, spotted a familiar shape diving from the sky. I smiled around fabric as a shrill roar pierced the sky. The sound of wings filling with wind caused the stampede of hooves behind me to stall. I heard a deep voice race over the herd.

“Keep running. I think I can keep them distracted long enough.” I nodded before urging my back legs to push harder. Katsai moved below me before grabbing onto my mane as she swung in my mouth. She scrambled into my back to look behind us. I heard her whoop and then laugh as the sounds of confused cattle erupted from the grasslands.

“I am really glad we have a dragon on our team now!” She cackled before swiveling around to face where we were running.

“Now to do my part. Create even more chaos.” She ended that sentence with a little swing in her voice, like it brought her joy. If I hadn’t known her for years, it would have sent chills up my spine. Tendrils of shadows slithered from the grass stalks. They made their way to the herd before racing between the legs of the cattle, convincing the bovine that they were snakes.

“Genesis, come on!” Katsai shouted, “I can’t keep these shadows up for long! We need to go!” The low swooping of wings approached behind me as Genesis flew above us, making sure to keep an eye on the herd as she easily kept up with my sprint. After minutes of running, Katsai deemed the herd far enough away for us to stop.

Katsai jumped from my back, allowing me to transform back to my bipedal form. Sweat covered my skin as heavy breaths lingered in my lungs. Genesis was in a similar state for she sat down with her back against the cool ground. I followed suit while Katsai remained standing.

“Aw man, now you guys make me feel bad.” She laughed while she gazed back towards the herd where the thundering of hooves could still be heard as the bovine raced in the opposite direction. Genesis laughed along with her as a small smile crept up to my lips. Katsai’s laughter seized as her gaze hardened.

“Genesis, did you see what attacked the herd?” Genesis slowly nodded, before letting out a long sigh.

“Only for a brief second though. I tried to catch the bird, but it was already diving towards the herd and I didn’t want to endanger you guys even more by following.” Katsai nodded in understanding.

“But we are in agreement that it was most definitely one of his eagles, right?”

“Yup.” I answered, lifting my torso from the ground. I saw the quick flash of worry rise to Kay’s face before it was replaced with slight anger. She looked to the satchel tied around her waist before back up to the sky.

“I hate to admit it, but someone is gaining on us. And I have a feeling that whoever it is, brought that damned eagle.”

“We better get to that village then.” I hummed, standing up. “There’s someone that is very close to it that we should visit.”

“Huh?”

“You’ll see.”

I looked at the horizon where tiny figures stood against the afternoon sun. Memories flooded my brain as I gazed at the single peak that stood behind the distant village.

What’s a little elf-boy like you doing in cells like these?