Chapter 225 - 226: Perhaps threaten people less romantically next time

Chapter 225: Chapter 226: Perhaps threaten people less romantically next time

Tilla appeared at the end of the path, breathless. She had left the cubs inside with two females from the neighboring shelter after making Kairo promise nobody would step outside.

She started toward Swanly.

Swanly immediately lifted a hand.

"Stay there!"

Tilla stopped.

"I can help."

"You were just with my children. Don’t come near his blood."

Tilla’s face changed as she finally noticed the bloody footprints.

"What do i do?"

Fear trembled beneath the mink female’s voice.

But she did not leave.

Swanly pointed toward a basin.

"Hot water. Ash soap. Set it down outside the shelter. Nobody who touches a patient walks past it without washing."

Tilla nodded.

"Got it."

She ran.

Swanly looked at Doran.

The System appeared.

"Scan."

Golden light swept him.

ROT INFECTION: NEGATIVE.

"Again."

Negative.

Swanly’s pulse hammered.

Soren looked at her.

"Your magic?"

"Not Rot."

The crowd heard.

That should have comforted them.

It did not.

One male actually whispered:

"Then what is it?"

Swanly had no answer.

Doran abruptly sagged.

Raku caught him.

His body shook once.

Twice.

Then went limp.

His mate screamed.

"He’s dead!"

Nahla slapped two fingers against his neck.

"Quiet!"

Everyone held their breath.

Nahla waited.

"There."

She exhaled.

"Alive."

Doran’s mate collapsed onto her knees.

Swanly looked around.

Fear everywhere.

And this time she could not tell anyone they were overreacting.

Because she was afraid too.

A familiar silver head appeared at the edge of the crowd.

"Nerin?"

He was walking badly.

Swanly noticed instantly.

One hand was pressed against his broken antler.

His face was white.

"Nerin."

He stopped.

"I’m fine."

Swanly stared at him.

Then walked straight over.

"You look like you’re about to faint."

"I’m not."

His voice was weak.

She reached up and touched his cheek.

Hot.

Not fever hot.

Pain hot.

He immediately went pink.

Even now.

Even while looking half-dead.

Swanly almost lost patience.

"Stop lying."

Nerin’s green eyes flickered toward hers.

"My antler just hurts a little."

"A little?"

Blood slid from the broken base.

Swanly’s expression changed.

"Nerin."

He touched it quickly.

His fingers came away red.

His face fell.

"I didn’t realize."

Swanly grabbed his wrist before he could wipe it away.

"Sit."

"I can still help."

"Sit."

"But..."

"Nerin."

His ears lowered.

He obeyed.

Swanly crouched in front of him.

"What do you feel?"

He swallowed.

"It’s not something walking."

"What?"

Nerin shut his eyes.

His broken antler trembled.

The movement was tiny.

But Swanly saw it.

Nerin whispered:

"It’s everywhere."

Soren came closer.

"What is everywhere?"

Nerin opened his eyes.

"The movement."

Raku frowned.

"You said nothing is moving."

"Not a body."

He looked frustrated with himself.

"I don’t know how to explain it."

He pressed one hand against the earth.

His breath hitched.

"Like..."

His eyes unfocused.

"Roots."

Swanly leaned closer.

"What about roots?"

"Imagine roots under the ground."

His voice became quieter.

"Thousands of them."

His fingers pressed harder into the dirt.

"And something moves through them."

Swanly’s spine chilled.

"Water?"

"No."

Nerin shook his head.

"A pulse."

Nobody spoke.

Nerin whispered:

"Like a heartbeat traveling through roots."

Soren’s expression changed.

Swanly looked toward the northwest.

The Heart.

Nerin suddenly swayed.

She caught him by the shoulders.

"Enough."

He looked miserable.

"I’m sorry."

Swanly stared.

"For what?"

"I can’t tell you where it starts."

"Nerin..."

"I should be able to."

His voice broke slightly.

"I can feel it, but I can’t follow it. My antler..."

His eyes dropped.

"I’m not useful enough."

That did it.

Swanly caught his chin and made him look at her.

His eyes were suspiciously wet.

"You are bleeding from your head trying to help us."

Nerin’s ears drooped.

"I..."

"If you apologize one more time while your skull is literally hurting to help us, I’m going to bite you."

Silence.

Nerin stared.

Swanly stared back.

Then realized.

Oh.

His entire face turned red.

Not pink.

Red.

Behind her:

"Mama bites Deer Papa?"

Swanly’s soul left her body.

Slowly, she turned.

Miko stood several steps away.

Kairo had apparently failed at keeping him inside.

Nilo stood behind him looking disappointed.

Tilla had both hands on Miko’s shoulders.

"I tried."

Swanly pointed.

"GO TO BED."

Miko’s eyes widened.

"But..."

"BED."

"Does Mama really..."

"MIKO!"

He ran.

Nilo followed.

Tilla bit her lower lip so hard her shoulders shook.

Swanly looked at her.

"Don’t."

Tilla lost it.

A tiny snort escaped.

Then another.

Nerin covered his face.

Swanly wanted the ground to open and take her.

Soren’s silver eyes were very cold.

Kael’s tail had begun moving behind him.

Wonderful.

Exactly what she needed.

Nahla passed Swanly carrying bloody cloth.

She muttered:

"Perhaps threaten people less romantically next time."

Swanly whipped around.

"Nahla!"

The old healer kept walking.

Tilla nearly choked.

For one ridiculous moment, terror loosened its grip on everyone.

Then a horn sounded outside the western boundary.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

Raku’s smile disappeared.

Soren turned.

The Veskari.

A voice carried from beyond the wall.

"We request the ruler of Ironwood."

Korran.

Soren looked ready to murder the concept of diplomacy.

Swanly stood.

Nerin tried too.

She pushed him back down.

"You stay."

"I can..."

"Stay."

He sat.

Swanly pointed at Tilla.

"Watch him."

Tilla grinned.

"With pleasure."

Nerin looked alarmed.

Swanly had no time to save him.

She walked beside Soren toward the boundary.

Kael followed.

Raku came behind them.

Nahla called after Swanly:

"Come back when you’re finished glaring at winged people. I need hands."

Swanly lifted one hand without turning.

"I will."

There.

That was new.

People needed her.

Not because she was strongest.

Not because she was ruler.

Because she was part of them.

When they reached the boundary, Lyssara was already waiting.

Korran stood beside her.

Tharek farther back.

Veyra’s wings were stiff with anger.

Azren was sitting on a branch.

Of course.

Lyssara did not bother with greetings.

"Open the boundary."

Soren stopped several paces from the territorial line.

"No."

Korran made a sound of disbelief.

"You did not even hear the request."

"I heard it yesterday."

"And the day before," Azren added lazily from his tree.

Korran glared at him.

Azren smiled.

Lyssara’s jaw tightened.

"This is no longer about ancient warnings you choose not to believe. Look around you."

Her hand swept toward the forest.

"The infection outside is accelerating."

Swanly remembered the severed head.

The three infected standing motionless.

Facing Ironwood.

Lyssara continued:

"More infected move north every day. More creatures follow the Heart’s pull. Your settlement will eventually be surrounded."

Soren’s face did not change.

Korran stepped forward.

"You will eventually ask for our help."

"Perhaps."

Korran’s wings lifted.

"Then let us enter now."

"No."

Korran actually stared.

Swanly almost admired Soren’s ability to make one syllable insulting.

Veyra snapped:

"You would rather endanger everyone inside because of suspicion?"

Soren’s silver gaze moved to her.

"Yes."

Veyra’s face twisted.

Azren laughed.

That made it worse.

Lyssara looked at him sharply.

"This amuses you?"

"Not particularly."

"Then act like the Crown Prince."

Azren dropped from the branch.

Six wings opened.

He landed lightly.

And for once, his smile disappeared.

"Soren is right."

Silence.

Korran looked ready to choke.

Azren continued:

"You refuse to tell him exactly what you intend to do with the Heart."

"We have explained enough."

"No."

Azren glanced toward Soren.

"If I ruled this territory, I would not let you through either."

Veyra stared at him.

"You shame your own people for them?"

Azren’s eyes sharpened.

"I prevent my people from being idiots for themselves."

Korran took one threatening step.

Tharek finally spoke.

"Enough."

His voice was low enough to vibrate through the ground.

Lyssara looked back at Soren.

"There may come a day when it is too late."

Soren said nothing.

Azren folded his arms.

"Then we will continue waiting until our hosts decide otherwise."

Everyone looked at him.

Azren lasted perhaps seven seconds.

Then he turned his head toward Swanly.

"And when they finally let us inside, Swanly and I can mate and have beautiful winged fox babies."

Silence.

Perfect.

Absolute.

Dead silence.

Swanly closed her eyes.

Why?

Why was he like this?

Soren spoke first.

"You will die outside."

Kael added:

"Slowly."

Azren looked delighted.

"Your males are warming to me."

Swanly opened her eyes.

"Please get infected somehow."

"Impossible, unfortunately."

Korran rubbed a hand over his face.

Even Lyssara looked tired.

Swanly pointed toward Azren.

"He keeps saying that. Explain it properly."

Azren spread one wing.

"Veskari bodies reject Rot."

"Completely?"

"Not completely."

His tone became more serious.

"If enough infected blood enters an open wound, it can poison us. Fever. Tissue damage. Sometimes death."

"But you won’t turn."

"No."

"Why?"

Lyssara answered instead.

"Our blood is not compatible with it."

Azren nodded toward Thalara’s distant settlement.

"Similar to your Root-Eyed Mother. We are not beastmen. Rot cannot rewrite what it cannot properly enter."

Swanly frowned.

"So you can walk around fighting them without worrying about becoming infected."

"I can worry about being eaten."

"Please do."

He smiled.

"Concern. I knew you liked me."

"I hope one chews your wing."

"Still concern."

Swanly gave up.

Lyssara’s attention returned to Soren.

"We need the Heart."

Soren’s face hardened.

"For what?"

"We have told you what will happen if it fully awakens."

"That was not my question."

Lyssara said nothing.

Soren waited.

Korran’s wings flared.

Veyra looked away.

Azren’s smile disappeared again.

Soren’s voice lowered.

"You want entry to my territory. You want access beneath my people. You want the Heart under my home. Yet you still refuse to tell me what you will do once you reach it."

Lyssara’s expression tightened.

"We cannot reveal everything here."

"Then you cannot enter."

"That may kill your people."

Soren stepped closer to the boundary.

His pale scales lifted faintly along his neck.

"Then perhaps you should decide whether your secret is worth their lives."

Lyssara stared at him.

Soren turned away first.

Meeting over.

Not because Lyssara allowed it.

Because he did.

Swanly followed him.

Azren called behind her:

"Little fox!"

She kept walking.

"Think about the babies!"

Swanly raised one hand and gave him a gesture he absolutely did not understand.

His delighted laughter followed her all the way back.

She did not get to rest.

Not even for an hour.

Nahla caught her by the arm the moment she returned.

"We have six more."

Swanly stopped.

"Six?"

"Three fevers. Two headaches. One male says his healed leg feels as if it is breaking again."

"In less than a day?"

Nahla’s face was grim.

"Yes."

Swanly pulled a thick strip of boiled cloth over her nose and mouth.

...

Please bear with me, guys. I’ve been really sick lately, and I almost had another crisis.

Starting today, once I get tested and I’m able to write, I’ll try my best to put out at least one Chapter. I really want to write more, but I can’t push myself past my limits right now.

If I ever go a couple of weeks without uploading, please know that I’m most likely recovering and taking the time my body needs.

Thank you so much for understanding and being patient with me. 🤍