Her hair stuck to her forehead and neck due to the sweat from the scorching sun. The heavy weight of the metal armor is not helping her. Delyth feels almost claustrophobic. It feels like they are literal hands inside her body holding her lungs. She bends forward with her hands on her knees, trying to take in as much air as she can. Not to mention, she was on the rag, hence, there are pins sticking in her abdomen.

"Are you okay, Aiken?" His head tilts to the side and his eyebrows knit in concern. Filip lowers his wooden sword while slowly approaching Delyth. He's heard about her tactics to distract her opponent to win and although she does look in pain, he still keeps his guard up.

She lifts her hand and waves it at him. "Yes, I'm fine. I just need...to catch my breath." She stares at the ground, wanting to fall to her side without a care in the world that the dirt will get in her hair and all over her clothes to look like a pig that rolled in mud and filth.

Cillian approaches beside her and leans down with a hand on her shoulder. "Do you need a break, Little Knight?"

The realization of how feeble she appears and the fear of it, overpowers the pain she is in. She slowly straightens herself in a ready stance, shakes her shoulder, takes a deep breath and releases it slowly. "No, I'm all good. Let's go, Filip."

Filips stares at her, worried, as well as the other men spectating. They have been at this for days. She has fought each of them at least twice and not once did she surrender, even when she grows obviously weary. She shows tremendous progress, quicker than they thought but they all wish she would slow down. She even managed to finally beat Michal which left him in a sour mood because he is not used to losing.

Filip looks toward his fellow comrades, uncertain of what to do. Collectively, they shrug their shoulders, also skeptical on what he should do next. However, Tomas gestures with his hand at Filip to proceed in the duel knowing that Delyth won't back down until she physically cannot move. He sighs and grips his sword with both hands.

Without a second passing by, Delyth lunges toward Filips forcing him to retreat and block. They hold this position, staring into each other's eyes. Filip calmly on the defending side while Delyth tries to gain power by pushing against him with clear frustration burning in her eyes.

Filip pushes her back and she pivots in order not to fall on her face. Even more agitated, she goes to attack Filip when Cillian interrupts. They look in his direction to see Tiarnan walking away. He wasn't there before so he must've given a message to Cillian.

"What's going on, Commander?" Ruben questions as he runs his hand across his beard.

Cillian clears his throat. "There is a rumor in the villages that Exspiravit is lurking through Mellow Woods. They fear for their lives hence Ruadhan instructs us to search for it."

Murmurs echo among the knights while Delyth's eyes are the size of saucers since the mention of Ravi. She already knows what position this means. She can't understand how and why Ravi came here. He knows the danger.

"Does he seriously expect us to go out there and risk our lives fighting that thing?" One of the knights asks, panic dripping in his voice. Delyth looks around with creased eyebrows, taken aback by their frightened expressions. She didn't expect them to react like this. She more expected them to run to the opportunity to get rid of Ravi.

"We have gone to wars for less for Silas' sake. All we have to do is tread carefully. Try not to spook it or be fidgety. If all goes well, we reassure the villagers that there is nothing to fear." Cillian states, hoping to the skies that they don't have to come face to face with Exspiravit because hearing the stories and seeing families cry from the loss of their loved ones, being another pound of flesh for the animal is not part of his goal in life.

"And if the opposite happens," A voice bellows.

"Then Swuybia will be on lockdown. Travels through Mellow Woods will be banned," Cillian says with finality. No one utters a word and he clicks his tongue. "Alright then, let's go."

"Wait, now?" The words leave Delyth's mouth before she can get a hold of them.

"Yes, now. And you're coming with."

Mellow Woods is quiet like it always is. I scan through the trees thoroughly to get a glimpse of Ravi. The fresh and earthy smell fills our noses. It is spring so it should be fairly easy to spot him, unlike in Esadom where it snows all year round and he could camouflage. The only advantage he has is the thick high grass decorated with blue blossoms.

Sunlight makes polka dots on the ground, lighting up random areas through the forest. The ground is dark and damp due to the spring rainfall from the night before. The birds chirping and singing their melodies in the canopy, almost drowned out by the faint rustling of the leaves from the gentle breeze.

Suddenly, Delyth caught the sway of the ferns in the near distance. She almost draws for her sword but remembers Ravi is a friend and not foe. The others are on alert when Cillian draws their attention to the movement in the same direction. Delyth sends a prayer to every god in the universe to not let harm come to her friend. Her eyes rapidly move around the forest to find him again.

She isn't able to find him, so she comes up with an idea.

"Nothing's here. We can look another day but for now, we can reassure the villagers that they're safe," she suggests to Cillian. He looks around once more while he contemplates. He lets out a sigh and his shoulder sag as he lowers his shield.

He nods. "Aiken's right. We will search tomorrow at noon. If Exspiravit wanted to be found, he would've attacked by now. Retreat."

Wrong. Ravi wouldn't have attacked. He would've stayed hidden. That's one misconception everyone has of him. Thinking he's a ferocious beast that kills for food and fun. When the truth is, he's only protecting himself. Humans are the ones who have always been aggressive towards creatures they can't control and things they see as different and can't explain.

As they turn to walk back, Delyth spots him hiding cleverly in the bushes and winks at him. Unfortunately, Ravi gets too excited by her acknowledgement, his purr comes out too loud, alerting the others.

Dammit, Ravi, I missed you too but could you have been any louder, Delyth's shoulders sink and she scratches her head and tsks.

"There he is!" One of the knights calls out. A spear is thrown in Ravi's direction and he leaps and moves to another direction.

No. No, Delyth chants to herself.

They all charge after him, throwing their spears at him. Delyth screams in her head at Ravi to not attack. As if he heard her pleas, he didn't retaliate, he just ran around them, a ruse to make them dizzy.

"Stop! Commander, stop!" Delyth yells and puts her hand out in an effort to stop the attack.

"He is a monster, Aiken," Andrew, one of the quietest knights answers.

"He wasn't, really. He was hiding until you all attacked. Even then, he still doesn't attack, he runs." She tries to make them understand the reality of what's going on behind their fear of Ravi.

"Well, he is a cowardly monster and I will enjoy slaughtering him," Michal responds.

"I will not let you kill him. Commander, call off your men, now!" Delyth shouts, trying to get his attention.

Cillian stops and grabs her by the arm, "What is the problem, Aiken? We are protecting our people back home who are scared out of their minds. If you want to be a Knight, then help us kill the beast."

Delyth shakes her head and forcefully removes her arm from his grasp. "I will not let you kill him."

"Aiken!" But she is already darting towards Ravi.

The fight doesn't stop. They continue their attempts to do away with Ravi. Having had enough, Delyth unsheaths her sword and holds the heavy shield in front of her body to guard her as she marches towards the people who are supposed to be her superiors and comrades.

"Aiken, are you blind? Exspiravit is right there," Tomas points to the large bobcat scurrying left and right behind her.

"You want to protect your people. I'll protect mine," she says, lasers in her eyes. When she thought she had no one, Ravi was there for her. The person she thought she should've feared is the one who protected her. He is her family and she is his. She already lost one family and she'll be damned if she lets something happen to him when she can do something about it.

She lets out a scream and swings her sword at the person closest to her. They never do try to hurt her, instead they try to go around her and move out of the way but she is too quick. She doesn't let a person pass and blocks them the best she can from getting to Ravi.

Ravi's heart flutters and warms at the sight of his human doing everything in her power to protect him, an animal three times her size. He should be protecting her but for now he stays put, keeping an eye out in case she does get hurt or one of the knights manages to release a weapon and injure him.

"Stand back, Aiken or I will send you to Ruadhan," Cillian bluffs but Delyth sees it as a real threat. However, she doesn't care about Ruadhan and what he would do to her. At the end of the day, if given the chance, she would do it all over again, as long as Ravi is safe.

"Do it, but you will not harm him." Cillian sees a change in Delyth towards the creature that he can't understand. She is protective. Like a hen to her chicks.

As far as he, as well as everyone in the Udrilles Kingdom, sees it, Exspiravit is a danger to the world. It is about time someone cuts him down and serves him in a stew or something. The only people that can do that are Swuybian Knights. Being excellent hunters are in their blood. What he knows is that Exspiravit's time has run out. So why is Delyth protecting a monster against twenty men?

His eyes widen, "Aiken!"

On instinct, Delyth ducks when the flail swings at her head. Heat courses through Ravi's body and he pounces in front of her, screaming at the knights, flicking the men in front of him that he sees as a threat to Delyth with his paw.

The other knights point their swords with shaking hands and slowly make their way towards him. Delyth doesn't want bloodshed. She just wants them to have an understanding of who the real threat is and right now, none of them are. Delyth approaches beside him and runs her hand up and down his fur to calm him down.

"Hey, hey. It's okay. They won't hurt you." She says in a soft tone and casts her gaze on each of them one by one. "You won't hurt him!"

Her eyes land on Cillian begging him to make the right decision. He groans realizing Delyth's loyalty won't allow her to back down, leaving him no choice but to be the one to surrender. "Lower your weapons!"

They all stare in confusion, trying to understand how Delyth created such a bond with Exspiravit. How is she still alive?

"I'm going to talk to you later," she tells Ravi and he purrs in response, knowing what the conversation will be about.

Back in the open field, far away from peeping ears, they crowd around her, towering over her, waiting for answers.

"Aiken, what was that?" Filip is the first to ask.

"That was me protecting my people," she answers with her chin held high.

"That is not your people, that is a monster who has slaughtered innocent people for years." someone answers in anger.

"More than half of those stories are false. Yes, he slaughtered them but they attacked first, just like you did. Other times, I'm sure he was hungry and I doubt a few bunnies could fill the stomach of an animal his size," she defends, her nose twitching upwards.

"He. His. He could be prepping you to be his next meal, right now. Are you mad?" Eric warns, shoving his pointer finger in his temple, exaggerating that Delyth has lost his mind.

"He doesn't play with his food. I would know because I fed him. You want to know how I've survived with him this long?" She sticks her neck out, showing them the scar from his claws. "Compassion, loyalty and friendship."

"He almost ripped your head off!" Cillian bellows, his eyes as wide as the size of the moon. They all look at her as if wondering if they should send her to a priest. They've seen the scar and always wondered where she got it from.

Now that they know, they are convinced that she really has lost her mind.

"I lived in a cave with him for months and yet, I am still alive. He protected me today, doesn't that prove enough that he is not the monster you paint him as? If anyone is a monster, it's the people who killed his family." She stands firmly, glaring at them while they shift their feet in guilt.

Some of their fathers are the ones that killed Ravi's family. There was no reason for them to die. They were just too large and people were afraid that they would go savage, hence their brutal deaths.

"One more thing, if I hear that either of you hurt Ravi, I will remove your toes."

12/05/22

Au revoir...

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