Dark eyes hidden in the trees glower at Emilia. Victor watches closely as he crouches on a branch with the two soldiers at his side. Emilia—the beast breaks twigs, walks in open areas, and makes loud sounds with her mouth.
Squirrels play around in the trees making the leaves twitch, knocking branches into each other, and knocking off acorns. A raccoon runs through the flowers creating dancing flowers.
The beast fails to turn her head to any of these noises. She would be terrible in a pack. She is completely unaware of her surroundings. If a squirrel attacked her, the squirrel has an ability to win. Is this why the other beasts have yet to collect her? She’s blessed she’s the size of a lion.
Victor and his men drop from the trees when the beast is a distance away; the men follow in secret. The beast spends time playing in a bush then turns away disappointed. The teddy bear walks beside her. Together, the pair leaves a pile of berries beside the bush. She slumps under a tree for the night.
When the beast snores, Victor drops down from the tree. Though the berries are dark as night, their juices are white. Berryborry—very poisonous. At least she was smart enough not to eat them. Victor finds a few apples, bananas, grapes, and collects a few red berries. He places his gatherings inside the tree with the beast and the teddy bear.
In the morning, Teddy presses his paw to Emilia’s face gently waking her showing her the pile of food. As Emilia eats, two beasts sniff around outside her tree with rain pelting their fur coats. Slowly, the beasts make their way into the tree. One beast pokes his head in.
“Come, we’ve been searching for you,” he states as he glowers at Emilia.
“The pack is waiting for you,” the second beast whispers with a soft siren like voice. Both beasts leave the tree leading the way through the forest.
Emilia swallows two apples whole before rushing off after her guides with Teddy on her back. Once the beasts are a distance away, Victor and his men emerge from their hiding places tailing the beasts.
After traveling a long distance, the beasts lead Emilia towards an opening in a rock wall. Each beast disappears in between the boulders one by one.
Victor slowly moves closer to find an opening big enough for a human to crouch and duck walk through. The opening can definitely fit a beast. Victor bends down making his way through the beast tunnel. The soldiers follow, and the men pass a sign: Danger! Abandoned Mining Shaft!
A dim light guides the soldiers through the tunnel to a dimly lit pit with a spiraling walkway along the walls leading downward to the bottom of the pit. Victor and his soldiers crouch down keeping out of the view from the beasts resting on the walkway watching the beast at the center.
Three beasts make their way down the walkway as a teddy bear rides on the back of the last beast. The speaker at the center growls and howls to the other beasts. The beasts along the edges grunt and howl at the center beast as if to cheer him on. The beasts on the walkway stand, jump, and howl as if ready for something special.
“Gather the men,” Victor whispers to one soldier who quietly rushes out of the mining tunnels. Victor and the remaining soldier watch the beasts closely.