Third Person Pov.
“What happened during the hunt?” Noctis asked as he slithered beside Kael and the black wolf snorted, small rings of smoke leaving his nostrils.
“That male had the audacity to bring with him the Beast’s Cull,” Kael said in explanation and Noctis hummed.
“Did you take care of him?” He asked, not really invested in knowing the remaining details and Kael nodded.
“Of course, I broke his limbs and left him back there.
The others should be getting back to the tribe as we speak.” He added but just then—a sharp wail filled the air and both males froze.
They spared each other a look before they began to follow the place the sound had come from.
As they steadily approached, the sounds of a battle filled the air and in confusion, they slowly crept towards the sounds.
“Y—you ugly duckling, why don’t you come for me?!!” A familiar voice cut across the air and Noctis brows furrowed as he walked forward to peep out of the bushes and stopped dead in his tracks at what was happening before him.
“What?
Can’t fight again?
Are you so weak?” there, lying awkwardly on the trunk of a large tree was none other than…..
Lyrielle?
And she was actively goading a Tier Four mutated beast as if she didn’t value her life one bit.
The beast surged forward and they became entangled once more but Lyrielle was the one getting beat up each time.
He stood rooted to his spot, watching her get thrashed around like some sort of discarded beast skin and knew if she didn’t get help, she would be killed by this beast.
“Well, well, well.
Who’s that?” Kael asked as he stepped out to stand beside Noctis and Noctis gave him a small look before mumbling.
“Lyrielle,” “Lyrie—wait, what?” Kael asked in surprise and Noctis nodded solemnly.
“It seems as if her fate is already decided, there’s no need to interfere.” But just as he said that, the tide of the battle soon turned as the surrounding area’s temperature reduced and the air turned frigid.
He looked up and found green light energy wrapping around Lyrielle, she didn’t seem afraid of it…more like she welcomed it and when she stood up again, it seemed as if Lyrielle had completely changed.
Her breathing stabilized.
The trembling in her legs disappeared.
Even the look in her eyes became terrifyingly calm.
She glared at the mutated beast who lunged at her and she charged forward too.
“What is she doing?
That beast would kill h—” “What the hell?” Shock filled them both as Lyrielle changed course at the last possible second and ran along the trees before she jumped into the air and drove a spear they didn’t know where it came from….she drove it into the skull of the beast.
The beast roared and began to thrash wildly, smashing into things with her and she seemed to be suffering quite a lot from that but she didn’t let go, not even once.
She kept driving the spear into the beast until it came out the other side and collapsed to the ground, dead.
Silence fell over the forest.
Kael blinked once.
Then twice.
“…Did a weak female just kill a Tier Four mutated beast by herself?” He finally asked and even then, disbelief heavily coated his tone.
Noctis didn’t answer immediately.
Because even he couldn’t properly process what he had just witnessed.
A mutated beast wasn’t something ordinary tribe members could deal with alone.
Even some beast warriors would die facing one carelessly.
Yet Lyrielle… That same female who could barely survive the wilderness some days ago had just killed one herself.
And not through luck either, no ..that final attack had been calculated and way too precise, like someone experienced in battle.
Then during their shocked period, she slowly slid down the beast and when her skin met the ground, a loud scream filled the air.
It was filled with pain and anguish and Noctis didn’t think, he rushed out of his hiding place and quickly went to her.
“Lyrielle!” But she had already passed out, and she was bleeding from every single part of her body.
Cuts littered her skin and blood soaked through her clothes while one of her arms bent unnaturally and bruises spread visibly beneath her pale skin.
Kael crouched beside the dead beast and whistled softly.
“This thing almost crushed her apart.” Noctis jaw tightened as he carefully lifted Lyrielle into his arms.
She felt far too light and way too fragile.
His gaze dropped toward her unconscious face and something uncomfortable twisted within his chest, something that made his eyes narrow down at her.
What was he even thinking letting her fight to her death?
After she saved him from one?
And how had she been able to even achieve such feat.
“Here,” Kael said as he carved out the Tier Four core from the skull of the beast and offered it up to me.
“She needs green cores to heal.” I said, quickly bringing out a green core from my storage space and bringing it close to her mouth but nothing happened.
“I don’t think that will work, she’s too weak to absorb it.” Kael observed and Noctis nodded as he stood up to his full height and wrapped his coils around her before he turned and prepared to leave.
“You won’t make it in time, she’s far too gone.” Kael tried but Noctis shook his head, sparing him one last look before he turned to go.
“I owe it to her,” he simply muttered before he dashed away at terrifying speed.
The forest blurred around him, the trees became shadows and wind roared past his ears as he moved through the darkness with Lyrielle held securely within his coils.
Her scent filled his senses completely now but it was covered with blood….that her strange floral scent that he had smelt when she had first come to that river to wash up.
That scent that had drew him in then…was now covered with blood and— And faint traces of earth energy.
Noctis frowned slightly at that.
Earth abilities?
How is that even possible?
Females never had any abilities or strengths and the only ones who had were just small storage spaces.
And even that was extremely rare….so, how could she have earth abilities?
And from what he had witnessed earlier…she had been using it instinctively during battle, as if she already knew how to and was just performing.
Just who exactly was this female because the Lyrielle he knew should never have been capable of such things.
She should have cried, panicked and begged for help, not fight a mutated beast until the bitter end.
A small groan suddenly escaped her lips and his movements slowed slightly.
Pain.
Even unconscious, her face twisted painfully every few seconds and Noctis gaze darkened.
“She really almost got herself killed.” He muttered lowly.
“She did get herself killed halfway,” Kael’s voice suddenly sounded from behind him and Noctis glanced back briefly to find the black wolf keeping pace easily beside him.
“You followed me.” “Hm.” Kael shrugged lazily.
“I got curious.” His red eyes flickered toward Lyrielle.
“Honestly, I still can’t believe that’s the same female from before.” Noctis stayed silent because neither could he.
The old Lyrielle had been arrogant and unbearable, constantly chasing after males while relying on her father’s status to escape consequences.
She had been weak, annoying, cruel and he hated her so much but this Lyrielle… Kael suddenly grinned.
“You know, if word spreads that she killed a Tier Four beast alone, the tribe would go insane.” “She didn’t kill it alone.” Noctis replied coldly and Kael snorted.
“Oh?
Did you help her?” “…No.” “Then she killed it alone.” Noctis expression darkened slightly but that wasn’t what bothered him, what bothered him was the fact that while watching her fight earlier— There had been a moment…a very brief moment…where even he had forgotten she was weak.
The memory of her leaping from the tree replayed again inside his head.
She had looked fearless, reckless and…and beautiful.
His coils unconsciously tightened slightly around her unconscious body before he quickly loosened them again.
Troublesome had female.
Kael glanced sideways at him before suddenly laughing.
“Oh, this is bad.” Noctis narrowed his eyes.
“What is?” “You’re starting to care about this wicked female.” “I am not.” “Mhm.” “I simply owe her.” “Right.” Kael drawled knowingly and Noctis immediately ignored him as the tribe finally came into sight shortly after.
Large stone caves lined the area while small fires burned around the center grounds.
Beastmen moved around carrying hunted prey while females gathered near the water area chatting amongst themselves.
But the moment they spotted Noctis arriving with an unconscious bloodied Lyrielle wrapped inside his coils—the entire place exploded into chaos.
“Lyrielle?!” “What happened to her?!” “Hwy is she covered in blood?!” “Did she finally meet something bigger than her out there?” “Good riddance, I’d say.” Several people rushed toward them immediately and Noctis expression turned colder from the noise alone.
Then suddenly— a powerful pressure swept through the crowd.
“Move.” The sharp commanding voice instantly caused everyone to freeze.
The crowd quickly parted and a tall male stepped forward rapidly, navy blue eyes locked completely onto the unconscious female in Noctis coils.
Lyrielle’s father.
And the moment his gaze landed on the blood covering her body— His face lost all color.