Pursued: Escape

It was early dawn when Maolsek next awoke, the sky an indigo uncertain of if it was purple or blue. The canopy was broken overhead, enough that it was apparent that this was a forest clearing or meadow, light from the rings and moons providing plenty of light to see by. The camp was mostly quiet, absent a fire or torches, mostly made of tents with a number of enchanted, large metal cages.

 

Maolsek's equipment was nowhere to be seen, a metal collar around his neck and metal cuffs around his ankles and wrists, though not so tightly it risked harming circulation. His abdomen was bandaged, the long gash down his back having received medical attention while he was out, and there was clean, pure water readily available to him from a bowl fused to the cage bars.

 

Vaktervin was nowhere to be seen, though there was some quiet, indistinct muttering between some poachers closer to the edges of the camp.

 

Maolsek stared blankly up at the sky for some time, trying to figure out why he was looking through black bars. Sluggishly, the previous day's events returned to his memory, and he shut his eyes and rolled over onto his side and curled up. The chains clinked softly with his movements. Shynvera... I'm sorry. I'll try to be there soon.

 

He sighed, and his shoulders shook with the onset of weak, restrained sobbing. It was silent, and he fought it down as soon as it began, but it was hard not to think of the variety of things these humans might have in store for him. He knew his coat, while a rare color, wasn't terribly valuable without a flashy array of markings to go with it, and not having any scales meant one less thing they could take from him, but that still left his horns and, apparently, bones. He didn't want to consider how they might remove both from him, and yet the frightful ideas came. 

 

He shook his head to try and clear it.

 

"The fuzz will fade as the antidote helps your system fight the sedative off," a calm male voice told him, not unkindly. It came from behind him.

 

Maolsek started and sat up, seeking the source of the voice. He turned, and looked up at the figure. His long ears flicked back.

 

The man was very much not Vaktervin. Pale, with brown, greying hair and amber eyes, the man wasn't any of the hunters who'd been out on patrol. He held up a hand at the slicked back ears. "Now, now - I'm just a doctor. Not everyone in this camp does the fieldwork, I just make sure you don't suffer more than you need to. And argue with Vaktervin about the necessity of health checkups."

 

"So, you're... the one who bandaged me, then." Maolsek's ears slowly returned to their resting position. "Thank you." He drew his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms and tail around his legs. "What happens now?"

 

"Well, first and foremost, if you're feeling thirsty there's some water in that raised bowl over there. If you're not fond of drinking from that, I do have a water canister on hand. I gave you a vein drip for fluids, as I noticed you were dehydrated, but that was about an hour ago. Hydration aside, you will be remaining here with me for processing. Sounds scary, but all it is, is just a lengthy, thorough health and condition check. Helps the Captain decide what to do with you now that we have you."

 

Well, Maolsek wasn't about to drink from a bowl like an animal - not while he was in his anthro form. He still had his dignity. His tailtip flicked. He wasn't feeling thirsty yet, so he asked, "What does the Captain usually do?"

 

"Well, since your fur isn't particularly long and your coat isn't very fancy, for cases like yours it's mostly just holding onto you until you can be shipped off to what's effectively a concentration village. Until then, we'll collect your horn sheds, but leave your horn core alone unless you have a defect in it that threatens your well-being. During harder times, you might have certain bones - such as the femur - surgically removed, and then regrown using regenerative magic. The profit is relatively minor due to the cost of the magic itself, but it's enough to see us through harder times."

 

Maolsek shuddered. It didn't matter how 'humane' the doctor made it sound - it was still a form of torture. And a concentration village? The thought that such places even existed made him want to find and liberate them. When he reached Shynvera, and the village, he'd have to see about gathering enough other drakiri to try and do so. And, hopefully, eradicate the poacher infestation in the forest.

 

"That's awful."

 

"Desperate times for many of us here, I'm afraid." The doctor didn't even try to deny Maolsek's statement. "Can't say I find it very tasteful myself. But when it's that or a threat over the heads of your loved ones, what's a man to do? Some of us are here for greed, others for vengeance, the rest because of hard times that make it impossible to make ends meet any way else. We have families too."

 

"There's always something better than exploiting another people," Maolsek mumbled. He sighed. "What does your check-up of me entail, exactly?"

 

"Well, first and foremost, I need to wait for the sedative Vaktervin used to finish exiting your system before I can continue my examination. You've kept yourself in overall very good condition, excepting the consequences of being hunted, but I need you awake and fully alert before I can test things like reflex and eyesight."

 

"Why do those matter if I'm just going to be shipped off?"

 

"What I learn here will be shipped off with you. And together provide a bigger picture. If something puts you in poor health, it can affect the value of your horns and even your bones."

 

Maolsek's tailtip flicked again. He would not allow himself to be hauled off somewhere. He would escape, no matter what he had to do, and he would make it to Shynvera. He was too close to fail now. "How long do you think I'll be kept here?"

 

"At least a week, if not a little more. We don't ship your kind off one at a time, too difficult to weave it around patrols we avoid. You also need to be quarantined, just in case you have something but aren't showing symptoms yet."

 

A week or more. That was plenty of time to hatch an escape plan, Maolsek thought. "I'm not sick. I'd know if I was infected with something."

 

"Vaktervin did mention you'd fought off a paralytic he normally uses for Class Ds. Was it magic you used?"

 

They were going to find out sooner or later, so Maolsek nodded. "I'm a natural healer."

 

The doctor paused at that and hm'd for a bit. "Not too rare in these parts, but hard to catch. Most of the healers stay in or near the walls of the nearby village. Do you hail from there?"

 

"Would it make a difference either way?"

 

"It does."

 

"How so?"

 

The doctor smiled, but not unkindly. "Would it affect your answer?"

 

Maolsek shrugged. "It's not like you'd have any intention of sending me back just because I'm a healer, right?"

 

"No, but other reasons can influence someone to lie. I would also rather be able to take your word, as I don't like dealing with Vaktervin more than I need to for his own health."

 

That earned a concerned frown. "Are you saying that if I lie, you'll bring him here to try and get the truth out of me?"

 

"I'm saying that if I am given reason not to trust your word, I'll have to bring Vaktervin here to use one of his spells to bring out the truth."

 

"Could've just said 'yes,'" Maolsek mumbled. He blinked, recalling the fight, suddenly, and something else that was peculiar about Vaktervin. "What's his story, anyway? I've never met a human that could cast spells without tools."

 

"Ah, he must have used something to conceal his scent from you," the doctor commented, leaning against his legs as he thought over his answer. "Vaktervin has not divulged much of his history, and whatever his past trauma may be, I feel it not an easy matter. It must have been something very harsh indeed, to make a Drakiri turn against his own kind, and to dissociate from his own natural form. He conceals his horn with a charm."

 

That made Maolsek's large eyes widen. "He's a Drakiri?! Then why- what-" He trailed off in frustration, already knowing this human doctor wouldn't have any answers. But, that did explain some things. He frowned, tail twitching angrily now. How dare one of his own kind help these people harm others? If he got a chance, he'd teach him a lesson.

 

Something else came to mind, and he calmed enough to ask, "What's this Class system you rank my kind by?"

 

"It's a threat rating to communicate quickly what a particular Drakiri is likely to bring to bear: Class D is 'skilled, plausibly highly skilled, but does not, for whatever reason, use much if any magic.' Class C is 'extremely skilled, may use magic.' Class B is more dedicated mages or mage-melee soldiers. Class A is archmages and other kinds of masters. The lower classes, such as Class E, are gradually lower tiers of average skill to inexperience. Most of us consider Draklings off-limits for poaching, and even without that personal rule being common in the camp, Vaktervin will go ballistic on anyone who so much as touches a child without respect and care. Any child, no matter of species."

 

At least he has some morals, Maolsek thought. He stowed away this information, to be shared later once he reached the village. It would be handy for deception down the line. "What's... the 'heavy gear' you people use to deal with Class C and above?"

 

"Anti-magic, anti-casting equipment meant to neutralize most mages. Doesn't bother us any, but I hear it's very painful to Drakiri and if they fight it too much, it can cause permanent damage."

 

"Like horn damage?"

 

"Horn core damage, yes. It can also lead to seizures, brain damage, and death, if they don't stop fighting it."

 

"That is cruel," Maolsek said softly. He stared down at the floor of his cage. "How do these devices function?"

 

The doctor could only offer an apologetic shrug. "I'm not sure, myself. I know what they do, because I've been ordered to try healing the victims, then been made to put down those who can't be saved and perform autopsies on the cadavers. But I've not ever seen them in person, myself. I just know they're not very large, easily hidden on one's person. The term 'heavy gear' is a misnomer."

 

All good to know. Was the doctor really offering information up this easily? Or was he being deceptive? Maolsek had to try finding one such device and stealing it before he fled the camp for good; and maybe destroy the rest. His tail swished slower, thoughtfully. "Can I borrow your canteen please?"

 

The doctor handed it to him freely, and watched to be sure Maolsek didn't try to slip something in it (if he, by some miracle, had managed to conceal something on him that removing pants couldn't remove).

 

Maolsek took a drink from it, and didn't give it back right away, choosing to sip from it over the course of their conversation. "I don't suppose you'd be willing to tell me where my pants went?"

 

"They got searched and are currently in the laundry. Captain's second can't stand the smell of anything that hasn't been washed in two days. Speaking of, you'll be getting a bath in a few hours."

 

"That... sounds nice." It sounded like an opportunity to escape, if they bathed him outdoors. He just hoped Vaktervin wouldn't be his guard. "When do I get food?"

 

"I can request some for you now, if you're hungry. Do you have any allergies?"

 

Maolsek shook his head. "No, but I prefer mostly meat, and for it to be on the rare side."

 

"Well, you're in luck. All the sabers and deer you've stirred up sending everyone on a merry chase have had us in good supply of that." The doctor then got up and made for where two of the poachers were stationed as guards, leaving Maolsek somewhat unattended - not that there was much he could do, being cuffed to his cage.

 

Not that he had the strength to break free if he tried. He needed to wait for someone to come along with a key if he wanted out. For now, he decided to stand up and stretch his muscles, and his tail extended a ways through the bars behind him. He found he could grab the bars overhead, too, which might be handy if he needed to kick someone.

 

Since he had a decent vantage point, he also took the opportunity to get a good long look at his surroundings.

 

It was cool, being the very early morning. The sky was continuing to gradually lighten, slowly taking on more indigo hues than pure blue, the glow from the rings starting to compete with the glow from the suns. Maolsek was close to the centre of the camp, many leather tents surrounding him - the largest of which was hard to look into, but seemed to have a fair number of cages within it. There was a campfire in the middle of camp, but it was currently extinguished, a bucket near to it and a spit resting above it. Poachers were slowly trickling back to the camp, while others left to take their own patrols.

 

The doctor didn't take long to get back to Maolsek, and the meat he handed him was cold, but had been lightly seared the day before and was certainly plenty for a person of his size, laying in a pile on a metal stainless plate. The doctor even had the insight to provide a knife and fork - only plastic, however, to avoid providing something too easily used as a weapon.

 

"Thank you," Maolsek said. He took the plate, careful when pulling it through the bars, and sat back down to eat. He didn't exactly prefer his meat cold, but it would do to shut his hungry stomach up. He didn't bother trying to check if it was drugged, already trusting the doctor enough to believe such a thing wouldn't be attempted yet.

 

The doctor let the Mystic eat in peace for a while, only speaking again once the meal was almost done. "You never did say if you came from the village or not."

 

Maolsek swallowed another mouthful. "You're right, I didn't." He contemplated for a moment, then added, "But I am trying to get there."

 

The doctor hm'd. "You've travelled quite far, just for a village that is still small on the frontier. A village that yet poses significant threat to this camp, should its guardians feel safe enough to leave to find the source of their poacher problem." The doctor paused, then continued speaking, tone just as casual as before, same with his volume, which, while not suspiciously low, wasn't loud enough for the guards to make out words, either. "Course, if one wished to leave for that village, they would do well to build up their strength first. I can't imagine being hunted is all that recuperative of a hobby, and the wildlife itself is dangerous. It's impossible to leave here without permission unharmed, but not impossible to leave alive - would not be the first time the Captain and Vaktervin had a row about whose fault an escapee was, and Vaktervin has a point that he cannot be everywhere at once."

 

Maolsek met the old doctor's eyes, and his tail flicked thoughtfully. Was this human really talking about helping him escape? If so, then he knew he would do well to heed his words. Take a day or so, eat and sleep, and then find a way to set out when as few people as possible were in the camp, or at least when most of them were sleeping. He suspected pre-dawn would be the best timeframe.

 

His own voice was soft when he asked, "Where is Vaktervin likely to go next?"

 

"Only he knows that - every day, he selects his targets from a list the Captain hands him, then leaves camp to go on the hunt. Day or night, dawn or dusk, it doesn't seem to matter to him - he rests at camp when he needs to, and doesn't keep a set schedule. But when he leaves, he is often gone for days, off hunting down the kill targets. You are a rare capture case that was difficult enough to get the Captain to call him in, away from Vaktervin's usual routine."

 

"Well, don't I feel honored," Maolsek grunted.

 

The doctor inclined his head, then went to clean what looked to be a tool used to test knee reflexes. "He called you curious, which from him is high praise. Vaktervin rarely seems to take much note of those he is sent after, and when he does, it says much about the individual's skill." A pause. "One could say that few here are of the belief that Vaktervin is particularly young. I, enforced as his doctor, especially am not."

 

"Getting praise from someone who kills his own kind for a living isn't really a great feeling." Maolsek finished off the last of his meal, then set the plate back outside the bars for it to be picked up.

 

The doctor set his tool aside, and went to pick up and move the plate - and its fork and knife - to be out of the way. "No, I suppose not. Though while he may act out of vengeance, as I have said before, others act only to provide food and shelter for their families. If someone were to escape from this camp, we would be forced to move, but should an armed force find us...I ask that it is the children and spouses, the siblings and parents, whose only income is from those who work and hunt here, that are thought of. Many would willingly leave this life behind, even take up arms in defence of the species they once hunted, in exchange for a reliable alternative income and a safer home for their families."

 

Maolsek drew his knees up to his chest again and wrapped his tail around himself. "A lot of Drakiri will be angry to have lost their own family members to the poachers of this forest. I don't have the power to control what might happen, but... I can try talking about it."

 

"If all are silent, then there can be no hope. But if even just one person speaks, then there is a spark," the doctor replied, then gave a gentle smile. "It's all I can ask."

 

"The drug's burnt out of my system, now, if you want to get your checkup over with."

 

"That is why I was cleaning up this-" the doctor gestured to the tool he'd just picked up. "-though thank you for confirming the timing for me."

 

---

 

The rest of the checkup was fairly extensive and comprehensive, the doctor knowing what he was doing and what he was looking for. Maolsek was in good health, all told, excepting for his injuries of course. The sun was firmly above the horizon by the time the doctor finished, at which point he sat back on his stool.

 

"Later on today, I will be giving you a dewormer," the doctor held up a hand to forestall any protest. "It's a precaution, just to be sure."

 

Maolsek grimaced. "I don't have worms." He crossed his arms, tail flicking behind him. "Is it going to taste bad, or is it just a pill?"

 

"It's a paste, but I can conceal it in some food so that you don't have to taste it," the doctor replied. "But not too much - too much will dilute the dewormer and might prevent the full dose from affecting any parasites you might have." He held up a hand to forestall any protesting. "It's regulation, I can't skip this just based on your word. The more thorough we are with this, the better prevented any outbreaks will be."

 

"Would have been nice to tell me about this before giving me my meal earlier."

 

"You needed food, your blood sugar was starting to get too low for comfort. By midday, it should be through your system enough to not interfere with the dewormer."

 

"What else can I expect today?"

 

"Maybe the occasional drop-by from a guard or the Captain to check on us, and there'll be at least one to pick up my notes. Beyond that, I'd suggest sleeping if you can, for today and tomorrow, there's nothing to worry about. Day after...I can't make any guarantees what will or will not happen."

 

"What do you mean? What's possible?" Maolsek tilted his head.

 

The doctor hm'd. "Many things can happen, most of which I can't say, as I've no ability to divine the future. But I daresay the Captain would be quite angry if anyone left the camp without asking first."

 

At that, Maolsek huffed through his nose, and sat back down in his cage. "I'll bet. When did you say I was to get a bath, again?"

 

"About half an hour from now."

 

"Then I'm going to sit here and try to heal these wounds." So saying, Maolsek settled to get as comfortable as he could, shut his eyes, and placed his hands in his lap and focused. In seconds, the scrapes marring his skin here and there began to glow with faint violet light, and gradually healed up. Next were the bandaged wounds, though the light was too weak to be seen through them.

 

The doctor observed him for a few moments, then got up to see to some other things he needed to tend to.

 

---

 

When the time came, two guards came to collect Maolsek from his cage. He let them guide him without fuss, and didn't bother asking questions.

 

The bathing area was more like a shower stall with a magical barrier surrounding it, sectioned off from the rest of the camp in a way that allowed some privacy. A water bladder hung from a pole, and below it was a shallowly slanted platform for the water to run off. Maolsek was guided over to it and handed a bar of soap and a small bottle of cleansing oil, though he was still expected to wash with his chains on, because he was nudged towards the stall without them being removed.

 

The guards took position on either side of the stall, and turned their backs to offer some modicum of privacy. Maolsek sighed, stepped under the water bladder, and twisted the cap. Lukewarm water sprayed out, and he got busy.

 

As dirt and dried blood washed off his currently-furless hide, he thought about how he was going to escape when he had his chance. He knew how to pick locks, but he would need something small enough to fit the lock to his cage. Perhaps the good doctor could procure at least that much? Maolsek was also a skilled shifter, more than many of his kind, able to shift just parts of his body at a time rather than do it all at once. 

 

Then, he thought, he might be able to shift just enough so that his already long limbs grew more slender to slip through his shackles. He would need to be quick about it, and he'd need to wait until Vaktervin was gone for sure, and then make a beeline for the village. Shynvera was there, he'd grown certain of that, and he felt now that Zyrda was also there, though his bond with him was weaker. Where was Vaokes? he wondered. With any luck, his other friend would also turn up in the village.

 

I'll be there soon, he thought. Just wait a little longer, and stay safe.

 

He didn't rush his shower, wanting to spend as much time out of his cage as possible, but eventually the water got low and one of the guards began to get annoyed with him. He finished up, accepted the offered towel to dry off with, and then was escorted back to his cage.

 

"Are my pants clean yet?" he asked of the guards.

 

"Don't know, don't care," the guard in front of him answered.

 

He was guided back into his cage and latched back to the floor, and the door was closed and locked up. Maolsek sighed, and leaned against the bars.

 

When the doctor returned later, he requested a hairbrush and tie, and when he received them, braided back his long hair. He eventually got his pants back, too, which he was glad to have back on. Drakiri may not have any taboos regarding nudity, but when he was in his anthro form, he liked having a bit of a barrier between his skin and the environment.

 

"Any chance I could also get a spare pillow?" he asked the doctor.

 

The doctor smiled and inclined his head, then briefly disappeared into a tent. When he came back out, he handed the requested pillow to Maolsek. "Here."

 

"Thank you." Maolsek plopped the pillow onto the floor, then lay down and curled up, wrapping his long tail around his body. If they weren't going to do anything with him anytime soon, he figured he might as well nap until he was feeling well enough again to try fleeing.

 

---

 

The day wore on, he was given food along with the not-too-terrible-tasting dewormer paste, and then he went back to sleep. The night progressed similarly, with Maolsek trying to make conversation whenever the doctor came by. He let on that he wasn't from the village, and asked for its approximate location and its name.

 

Andatori wasn't terribly far from the camp, roughly a three-quarters of a day journey on foot if one didn't stop too often. There weren't many details the doctor could give about it, other than its walls were high and the guards were competent enough to keep the human hunters at bay. That reassured Maolsek, who now believed he would be safe if he could just make it. It also told him Shynvera and Zyrda were likely safe.

 

He wondered: Could they sense how close he was? He hoped they didn't leave the village to try searching for him.

 

The doctor left him alone again, and Maolsek lay back down once more to contemplate on his escape plan. He eventually dozed off.

 

---

 

The next morning, soft voices, both familiar, roused him from his slumber. He didn't open his eyes, and was careful not to move his ears either, lest he alert either man to his waking state.

 

"Vaktervin, if you would kindly stay put for even just five minutes, we'd be finished by now," came the doctor's exasperated voice.

 

"I hate this form, and you know it." Vaktervin sounded far from pleased.

 

"Then stay put."

 

His form? Was Vaktervin in Drakiri form? Maolsek had to see. He finally sat up, stretched, and tried to get a look at the pair nearby.

 

The doctor and Vaktervin were standing not too far from Maolsek's cage, neither paying the Mystic much mind. What was first readily apparent was that Vaktervin was a Kainu, albeit quite large for the breed, with blue and purple iridescence around his neck that extended onto the mane and scales. The dark brown of his chestnut coat was offset by purple scales and black mane, stripes of another shade of purple decorating his sides and darker back, extending onto the scales themselves, the edges of which seemed tinted. With his face turned away, it was hard to tell if his head had any markings, but the dark grey of his horn was readily apparent.

 

Vaktervin was fairly pretty for a Drakiri, all told, though still a far cry from having one of the truly more valuable pelts.

 

Maolsek committed every detail to memory. He needed to, in case Vaktervin ever tried to infiltrate Andatori. He needed to be able to recognize him on sight, and be able to warn other Drakiri of him. But what was the doctor doing with him? He stood up to try and get a better look, and tried to pass it off like he was still only stretching.

 

The doctor had his hand behind the knee of one of Vaktervin's forelegs, and for all appearances seemed to just be checking vitals. Vaktervin's tail swished in agitation, but it seemed he'd finally conceded to staying put. The doctor soon finished with what he was doing and straightened up.

 

"There, was that so difficult?" the doctor asked as he made some notes on a clipboard. "I wouldn't have to do this if you would assume that form more often. You, out of everyone here, should know that scorning your natural form so severely can lead to many consequences for your health."

 

"If I could cut this form out of me, I would, and then there wouldn't be that problem." Vaktervin's voice was bitter, and as if to emphasize his point, he took his human form again now that the doctor was done with the checkup.

 

"Alas, I think that is beyond the realm of even magic. It would do you better good to get over your abhorrence."

 

"It would do you better good to stop 'advising' me on my life."

 

"Have it your way, Vaktervin."

 

Maolsek's tail swished slowly, hanging low. What had happened, exactly, to make Vaktervin hate his natural form and his own kind so much? He didn't plan on staying long enough to find out, but he wondered. He sat back down, and decided to kill some time by meditating for a while. He kept his ears pricked up, in case something else interesting happened within his hearing range.

 

The day passed on as uneventful as the one before, with food coming at set times, and nothing but rest in between. Maolsek desperately wanted to get out and move around, finding himself bored to frustration, but tried to remain calm and focused. He was going to need a weapon of some kind, certain that he would be pursued for quite some time once he made his escape. A sword or bow would be nice, but he would take whatever he could get his hands on.

 

Perhaps he could take down one of the guards? There was no way he'd have time to search a tent. His tail flicked with agitation, and he rolled over onto his other side. He hated being cooped up in such a small area, but there was nothing for it.

 

Thus he spent the day and evening, thoughts racing and calming, drifting in and out of light naps, and hoping Vaktervin would disappear. He did not need that skilled hunter on his tail, especially when Vaktervin was almost guaranteed to recapture him with magic.

 

Finally, the doctor came to check in on him again. He sat up to ask for water and something light to eat, and before the doctor left to go fulfil the request, Maolsek thought of something, and said, "Wait."

 

The doctor paused. "Hm?"

 

"My pants got a hole in it. Can I get a needle and thread, too?" Maolsek kept his voice soft. He hoped the doctor would understand his real meaning, or at least not question why he couldn't just hand his pants back over.

 

"Most certainly," the doctor nodded, and left to fetch the items. He didn't take long, and carefully handed the needle and thread to the Mystic through the bars.

 

"I take it this is not for the hole your tail goes through," the doctor's tone held some amusement, before he spoke more quietly with more seriousness. "Vaktervin has just left on a hunt. Wait a few more hours, and he'll be too far away to double-back in time when the whistle blows."

 

Maolsek pretended the doctor didn't just say that, and instead took the items and quietly said, "Thank you." He sat down with the plate of food and canteen, taking the needle and small spool of thread last. He ate first, drank his fill, then indeed got to work mending the numerous small holes in his pant legs.

 

Afterwards, he lay back down, plate, canteen, plasticware, and spool of thread sitting outside the cage waiting to be taken away, but the small needle was tucked under his pillow. He allowed himself to drift back off to sleep, telling himself that he would wake up before dawn.

 

---

 

He woke to the sound of owls hooting in the trees beyond the camp. It was hard to determine the exact time, because the sky was thick with clouds, but Maolsek hoped it had been long enough. He sat up and looked about, and seeing that no one was nearby or looking his way, subtly masked his aura and manipulated it to appear as if he were still laying down. Then, he shifted his limbs, lengthening and thinning them so that the shackles easily came free, and set them all on the floor.

 

He pulled the needle from under the pillow, stuck it into the cage door's keyhole, and prayed that it was sturdy enough to work the mechanism and that the mechanism itself wasn't too complex. He shut his eyes, and focused.

 

Click. Click. Tap tap tap. Maolsek silently willed the keyhole to shut up. And then, one final click, and he felt the lock release. He pulled the needle free, which was now sorely bent out of shape, and flung it into the grass. He switched to aura vision to get a good look at everyone's position around the camp.

 

A guard was stationed nearby, since the doctor wasn't currently there to watch him - he would take this guard down, he decided, and steal what weapons he could before making a run for it. Several other patrols whose paths he'd become familiar with since his first day were about, and he knew the largest gap in security was by the shower area. He'd run towards there after taking down the guard.

 

There was little to no cover between his cage and the shower area save for more tents, each of which posed a danger to his escape should anyone see him pass. He was thankful his skin was black, making him hard to see in the night, so if he could just stick to the shadows, he might be fine. 

 

He took a deep breath, remained crouched, and cautiously, slowly, opened the cage door. It worked on well-oiled hinges, a fact he was most thankful for, and when the gap was wide enough, he slipped out and pushed the door so it was almost closed again - not quite, as shutting it completely would cause a tell-tale click.

 

From there, he slunk up behind the guard, then sprang up and wrapped his hand tightly around his mouth. The guard struggled and let out a muffled series of grunts and tried to shriek, but Maolsek hit him hard in a pressure point behind his neck and knocked him out. He set the guard down on his back and moved with haste. He stole the sword and its belt, then got up and bolted for the nearest shadows cast by a tent.

 

Heart pounding, he took a moment to orient himself and check his surroundings. No one sounded the alarm yet, but he did notice a pair of guards nearby who were coming towards the cage on their set path. In seconds, they would see their fallen comrade.

 

Maolsek took a deep breath, let it out slow, then ran for it, but there was simply no evading all the patrols even in the deep dark of late night. He pounced on one pair from behind, both guards going down hard enough to lose their wind, and then he stole one's dagger and snapped the other's bow before again moving on.

 

They were recovering enough to rise before he got far.

 

Whistles blew in the distance - one from by the cage, and one from the guards he'd just knocked over.

 

He nearly bowled over another patrol, and decided to make it a quick fight. Using his precious seconds of surprise, he punched one guard in the face, sending him to the ground, and kicked the other in the stomach, sending her flying back. He bolted off again, but now the guards had a bead on his location.

 

Arrows from converging patrols flew his way. He evaded or knocked aside what he could, but he had to keep moving. He ran in a zigzag pattern to keep from being an easy target. One arrow still caught him in the shoulder, burying in deep and eliciting a pained cry, but still he moved on. A bolt pierced his outer thigh, and it burned.

 

Other projectiles whizzed pass, all scarcely missing, and he heard numerous footfalls crunching in the dead leaves of the forest floor from behind him. It turned out there were also some patrols deeper in, just beyond the bounds of the camp, likely for precisely the reason of keeping escapees from making it very far.

 

He clashed blades with the first of three hunters, and used both his height and greater strength to force the smaller man backwards and into a tree. He bashed him in the head with his sword's pommel, then spun to face the other two closing in. One shot at him with a bow, whose arrow he neatly deflected, while the other engaged him in melee.

 

Maolsek flung dirt into the woman's face with his tail and then kicked her away, and then charged the archer. He caught the next arrow in-flight, pounced the smaller human, then knocked him unconscious. He lamented not having enough time to nick the bow and arrows off the hunter, but at least he was armed at all. He resumed his escape.

 

He ran, and ran, and ran, heart pounding all the while, and he did his best to make a beeline for the village. He still had to work to evade numerous traps, but he'd become familiar with the hunters' methods of concealment by now, so they were easier to spot. He ran into another patrol fifteen minutes outside of camp, but they didn't seem to be aware of the alarm yet. The whistles must not have travelled quite that far through the dense trees.

 

One hunter went down easy, but Maolsek soon concluded it was a rookie, because their partner was far more skilled. They clashed swords for what felt like a dangerously long time, the metal on metal echoing in the forest, and Maolsek earned a number of thin slices and deep lacerations for his trouble. Finally he got inside the hunter's guard, and slammed his fist hard into the side of her head. She spun and went down. Maolsek picked up her sword and added it to a spare loop on his belt, then bolted off once more.

 

The night continued on like that, but with the scuffles fewer and further between the more distance he got between himself and the camp. Finally, daylight broke over the forest canopy, and filtered through the leaves in pale shafts. Maolsek climbed up a tree and sat in a high branch to catch his breath. He wished he'd thought to steal a canteen, because he was terribly thirsty. Maybe he would come across another stream, soon.

 

Doubtful, and wishful thinking on his part. His legs were sore and tired, and blood stained his pants and caked to his shoulder and abdomen from where arrow, bolt, and blade had injured him. The arrow and bolt were long removed, but their deep wounds still burned and ached.

 

The bolt, he knew, had been coated in a mild toxin, probably an oversight on the hunter's part, and he was lucky his healing magic was able to neutralize it before it reached his heart. Still, he wanted to see a doctor when he reached Andatori, in case the toxin had hidden side-effects he wasn't yet able to detect.

 

His legs feeling recovered, and his heart somewhat calmed, he rose on the branch, and resumed his flight towards Andatori.

 

---

 

The doctor had given him the time estimate to reach the village based on walking, Maolsek guessed, because he felt his love's presence so close by early evening that he almost felt like he could reach out and touch him. Andatori was near, now, he knew. He descended from the treetops once he ascertained the area was clear of hunters, and hurried along, intending to clear the remaining distance on foot.

 

A decision he sorely regretted about thirty minutes later, when he missed all the signs in his weariness and stepped directly into a trap. He screamed as metal teeth sank deep into his flesh and nearly snapped bone, and he fell to the ground reaching for his injured leg. The brown-painted beartrap snapped tight to his calf, and it took all of Maolsek's willpower to not just sit there and cry.

 

His chest heaved and he reached for the jaws of the trap, and pressed down as hard as he could to put pressure on the springs. Feeling it give, he pried the jaws apart, then pulled his leg free and rolled away. The trap snapped shut again.

 

He wiped hot tears off his face and pressed his hands to the jagged wound, and did his best to heal as much damage as he could, but it was so deep that he only managed to stop the bleeding. Once he regained his composure, he stood, and hobbled towards the village.

 

His vision began to blur, and he cursed under his breath. Had the trap been coated in something? he wondered. He felt his body growing more and more sluggish with each step, and it took all his willpower to keep walking. Shynvera. Shynvera. I'm almost there. He prayed to whatever greater power might listen that no hunters would find him, not when he was so close.

 

Nature gave way to unnatural structures, and he began to recognize the signs of civilization even through his haze. Was that a wall he saw in the distance? His world suddenly spun, and he could smell the leaves and dirt of the forest floor very, very well. Darkness encroached upon his vision. No. Not now. Not now.

 

He struggled to right himself, but his limbs were too weary and weak with the toxin that had proved too potent for his healing magic to completely neutralize. He collapsed again, and with a long exhale, passed out.