Chapter 21: Friend or Foe?
-Flashback Continued-
Yi Feng crouched beside him, his usually vibrant eyes dulled by fatigue and fear. "Sun Zhu, you need to rest. We'll take turns keeping watch."
Sun Zhu nodded weakly, his voice barely a whisper. "Be... careful."
Sun Shu patted his shoulder, a comforting gesture that was as much for himself as it was for the patriarch. "We will. Don't worry about us. Just rest."
In the dense thicket, the group formed a circle, their backs pressed together for warmth and comfort. Sun Ying, ever the pragmatist, started piling leafs for some bedding, using the minimal wood he could find to avoid drawing too much attention. The leafs crunched and crackled, the 3 moons casting eerie shadows on their faces, highlighting the strain and fear etched into their features.
Sun Ying whispered, "We should set a watch rotation. Two hours each. I'll take the first one."
Yi Chun nodded, his eyes scanning the shadows. "Agreed. Sun Qui and I will take the second shift. Sun Feng, you and Lam Yuk can take the last one."
Lam Yuk nodded, his grip on a small sword tightening. "Sounds like a plan. Let's just hope we don't need to use these."
Leaning against a tree, Sun Ying signed. "Just do your best to rest."
Then came the ambush came, on Sun Feng and Lam Yuk's watch.
The large, spotted yellow cat beasts materialized from the underbrush, their eyes gleaming with predatory hunger. The chaos erupted in an instant, a whirlwind of claws and fangs as they descended upon the Deer tribe delegation. Lam Yuk felt a surge of adrenaline as he fought back, his antlers striking out against the nearest beast. But the sheer ferocity of the attackers was overwhelming
"Sun Zhu, we need to regroup!" he shouted, his voice barely audible over the cacophony of battle.
Yi Feng, grunting from the effort of holding off his own attacker, nodded, "Fall back to the center!"
The remaining members of the delegation scrambled to comply, forming a tight knot at the heart of the thicket. Sun Zhu, despite his exhaustion, rallied shifting into his own Deer beast form to help fight, his voice shaking but firm. "Stick together! Protect each other's backs!"
Yi Chun, bloodied and breathless, yelled over the din, "Where's Sun Qui? Is he out there?"
Yi Feng scanned the chaos, his eyes wide with fear. "I don't see him! He was here, fighting with us..."
As if on cue, a distant cry echoed through the forest, sending a shiver down their spines. It wasn'tSun Qui's voice, but Lam Yuk's barely audible but laced with pain and desperation.
"Stay together!" he shouted, but the panic had already set in. The cacophony of growls and desperate cries filled the air, drowning out reason. Lam Yuk, with his fiery spirit, fought valiantly beside Sun Shu, but his courage was met with a brutal blow. One of the beasts lunged, sinking its teeth into Lam Yuk's shoulder, and he crumpled to the ground, his spirit extinguished in an instant.
The sight was too much for Sun Shu, who let out a primal roar, his antlers spearing through the nearest attacker. The forest seemed to answer his call, the trees swaying as if in mourning, their branches creaking like old men weeping.
Sun Zhu, now fully in his old stag beast form, charged into the fray, his hooves and huge antlers striking down and skewering any beast that dared come too close. Yi Chun and Yi Feng fought back-to-back, their movements a blur of dodging, hoves, jumps and antlers.
"Lam Yuk!" It was Lik Hang who got close enough and cried out, horror etched across his face as he turned to see the lifeblood of his companion pooling on the forest floor. The chaos around him blurred as he rushed to his fallen friend, the world narrowing to that singular moment of despair. The primal instinct to protect surged within him, but he was met with the sharp claws and fangs of the jaguars, and their numbers were too great.
---
Lik Hang, despite his own injuries, fought with a resilience that inspired those around him. He swung his antlers, deflecting blows and trying to hold the line. But as he glanced back at the chaos unfolding, his heart plummeted. He saw Lam Yuk's body lifeless, and the weight of their losses threatened to crush his spirit. In that moment, he knew they were not just fighting for survival; they were battling against the darkness that sought to claim their very souls.
The fight was fierce, with blood and screams filling the air. The Deer tribe was outnumbered, outmatched, and running on fumes of fear and adrenaline. They struggled to hold their ground, their forms a blur of desperate movements and grunts of pain.
Yi Chun, with a fresh wave of resolve, plowed through one of the beasts, tossing it aside with a roar. He turned to see Sun Zhu grappling with two of the jaguars, his antlers locked in a deadly dance with their claws. "Sun Zhu! Behind you!" he shouted, but it was too late.
Lik Hang, despite his own injuries, jumped into the fray to protect the Patriarch, and the young stag fought with a resilience that inspired those around him. He swung his antlers, deflecting blows and trying to hold the line.
As he glanced back at the chaos unfolding, his heart plummeted. He saw Lam Yuk's body lifeless, and the weight of their losses threatened to crush his spirit. In that moment, he knew they were not just fighting for survival; they were battling against the darkness that sought to claim their very souls.
With a renewed sense of purpose, Lik Hang let out a defiant roar, his antlers clashing with the beast that had once threatened Sun Zhu.
Meanwhile, Yi Chun's mind raced as he fought. They needed a plan, a way out of this living nightmare. He caught Yi Feng's gaze, and with a swift nod, communicated his intent. Yi Feng understood, and with a final thrust of his antlers, he broke free from his opponent and began to move towards the edge of the thicket.
Yi Chun fought his way towards his brother Yi Feng, their movements synchronizing as they created an opening.
With a forceful blow, Yi Chun sent a beast staggering back, buying them precious seconds.
"Yi Feng, we need to fall back!" Yi Chun shouted, his voice barely audible over the din of battle. "We can't hold them off here!"
Yi Feng nodded grimly, his eyes locking with his brother's. They had fought together countless times, their bond forged in the heat of battle. This time, however, the stakes were higher than ever before.
Together, they fought a retreat, their antlers and hooves striking out against their foes, creating a path for the others to follow.
The next words from elder Sun Zhu shook them all, "We will need to leave the dead for these beasts to feast." His voice was heavy with unshed tears, but the resolve in his eyes was unyielding. "It's our only chance to escape."
-
Yi Chun, whose scarred beastmark reminded him of past struggles, emerged from the fray, his injury hindering his movements but not his resolve. He called out to the remaining Deer beasts, his voice a beacon amidst the storm. "We must honor our fallen! Fight for them!" His words resonated, but the fear was palpable. Each member of the delegation felt the pressing weight of loss, battling against despair even as the jaguar beasts closed in.
In the midst of the chaos, the air thick with the scent of blood and sweat, the Deer tribe fought with a desperate ferocity. But the odds were stacked against them. Lik Hang fell under the relentless assault, his body joining the growing list of casualties. Sun Shu watched in horror, his heart shattering as he witnessed the sacrifice of his brethren.
As the last of the jaguar beasts retreated, the forest fell eerily silent. The aftermath of the ambush left the Deer tribe reeling, their numbers diminished, their hearts heavy with grief. They gathered around their fallen comrades, honoring Fung Ho, Lam Yuk, and Lik Hang, their spirits forever entwined with the journey they had shared.
The primal beast within him howled for vengeance, but he knew that they were outmatched and outnumbered. He saw Yi Chun and Yi Feng, their bodies battered and bruised, making a last-ditch effort to withdraw. He knew they were right; they needed to retreat if they were to have any hope of survival.
"Sun Shu!" Yi Chun's voice cut through the chaos, "We need to fall back!"
"Now!" Barked Yi Feng, knowing his brother was right.
Sun Shu nodded grimly, despite the wave of nausea that washed over him.
He had fought alongside these comrades, had shared meals and laughter with them. Now, many of them were gone, their spirits leaving behind a void that felt impossible to fill.
"Yes," Sun Shu managed to choke out, "Fall back." He turned to the others, his voice barely above a whisper. "We have to regroup and find a safer place to hide. We can't keep running blindly like this."
Yi Feng, his antlers bloodied and his breath coming in ragged gasps, nodded in agreement.
With heavy hearts and battered spirits, the remaining members of the Deer delegation pressed on the retreat, their attackers not following for they had 3 meals left for them and the deer were now running too close to Panther territory. The deer beastmen were fueled by a mix of grief and determination.
Yi Chun, despite his injury, rallied the group. "We will not let their sacrifices be in vain. We carry them with us, and we will honor them by continuing our journey."
-
With heavy hearts and battered spirits, the remaining members of the Deer delegation pressed on, fueled by a mix of grief and determination. Yi Chun, despite his injury, rallied the group. "We will not let their sacrifices be in vain. We carry them with us, and we will honor them by continuing our journey." Sun Zhu's voice was a low rumble, a mix of pain and resolve. The group huddled together, their breaths visible in the chilled air as they pressed on, their steps heavy with sorrow and fear. The forest seemed to press in on them, the shadows closing in like a living thing, their enemy still unseen but ever-present.
Sun Shu, despite his own injuries, took point, his keen eyes scanning the undergrowth for any sign of danger. He knew they couldn't keep running forever, but they couldn't afford to stop either. Not yet, not until they found a safe haven.
The elder deer beast, Sun Zhu, then looked up and nodded seemingly at the sky, "My dear grandson, look up! We already have." Treetop village can be seen in the near distance. "The yellow cat beasts would not dare attack us so close."
Yi Chun, in his stag form still dominant despite his old beastmark injury. He too managed a weak nod. "Yes, we're near the border of Panther territory now. They respect those boundaries."
Yi Feng, his antlers bloodied and chest heaving, looked over at his brother. "Then we press on. We need to reach Treetop Village before sunrise. We can't risk being caught out in the open."
Sun Shu glanced back at the huddled group, his heart heavy with the weight of their losses. "We need to set a steady pace.
It was the youngest, Sun Qui who spoke up, "We need to clean up. If we show up looking this bloody as an invited delegation to the Panthers we could start a war between them and those yellow cat beasts." Sun Qui's voice, though soft, carried an urgency that silenced the group. He was right—their appearance could be construed as a provocation, especially given the circumstances.
Yi Chun nodded, "Sun Qui's right. We need to clean up and heal as best we can. Then we'll push on. Sun Zhu, can you lead us to a safe spot to rest before dawn?"
The elderly patriarch looked up, his gaze meeting the treetops in the distance. "There's a small grove near the border, just before we reach Treetop Village. It's secluded and shouldn't be too far from here. We can rest there and clean up before continuing on to the village."
Sun Ying nodded, a sense of fatigue and determination blending in his eyes. He let his father, the Patriarch, lead the way. His old stag form trudging through the dense undergrowth, guided by instinct and experience. The remaining members of the Deer tribe delegation from the Verdant Grove huddled close, their movements slow and labored, their breaths visible in the chilled air.
Sun Qui and Yi Chun took the lead alongside Sun Zhu, their keen eyes scanning the shadows for any signs of danger. They knew they were being watched, could feel the weight of unseen eyes following their every move.
Were those eyes friend, or foe?