Chapter Thirteen: Wei Xiang
The warmth of the morning was shattered not by the sun, but by a chilling, guttural roar that echoed through the mountain, followed by the frantic beating of wooden drums in the valley below.
Lin Wan jolted awake, the intimate memories of the night before vanishing instantly. Wang was already standing, fully alert, his expression dark and tense. The tenderness from the night was replaced by the cold focus of a warrior.
"Rogue beasts," Wang said, his voice low, grabbing his hide tunic. "They are attacking the south perimeter."
Before Lin Wan could process the fear, the system chimed in her mind.
[Ding! Urgent Alert: Rogue Beast Attack. Host is advised to seek safety.]
[System Data: Rogue beasts are outcasts, beasts rejected by all tribes, those who have lost their beast marks due to grave sins, or those driven mad by the death of their mates. Scorpion beastmen are known for their venom, ruthlessness, and love for taking captives.]
"Stay here," Wang commanded, turning back from the cave entrance. He grabbed his spear, his eyes locked on her with a mixture of possessiveness and anxiety. "I have to lead the defense. I have sent word for my friend, Kael, to come and escort you to the deep cave. It is safe there."
"Be careful," Lin Wan whispered, her heart hammering.
Wang gave a sharp nod and vanished into the darkness outside.
Lin Wan didn't have to wait long before a sturdy, brown-haired beastman arrived. "Lin Wan? Wang sent me. We have to move, now."
She followed Kael out into the chaotic morning. The usually peaceful tribe was in disarray. Shouts echoed, and in the distance, she could see the menacing, chittering shapes of scorpion beastmen battling the tribe's warriors.
Kael led her toward the back of the mountain, navigating a narrow, shadowy crevice behind the main dwelling area. "Just a bit further," he muttered, keeping his eyes on the sky.
Suddenly, a massive black shadow fell over them.
"Down!" Kael roared, pushing Lin Wan toward the rocks.
A heavy, chitinous claw swung through the air, hitting Kael squarely on the side of his head. He crumpled to the ground without a sound.
Lin Wan gasped, trying to scramble back, but a massive, humanoid scorpion beast with a cruel smile and shimmering tail pinned her down. He smelled of rot and dried blood.
"Wang's mate," the beast hissed, his voice sounding like dry leaves crushing together. "He took my herd's mating rock. It's only fair I take his female."
[Warning! Host is in immediate danger. Rogue beast detected. Attempting to initiate emergency defensive protocol...]
Lin Wan didn't even have time to scream before the world went black.
[Warning! Host!] Weiwei screamed in her mind. [Emergency energy levels critical! Initiating defensive blast in 3... 2...]
The lead scorpion leaped, its venomous tail inches from Lin Wan's throat.
Suddenly, the sky screamed.
A massive Golden Eagle, with a wingspan that seemed to blot out the sun, dove from the clouds like a falling star. It was a High Guardian of the sky, a predator that even the Scorpions feared. With a deafening scree, the eagle's iron-like talons snatched Lin Wan from the ledge just as the scorpions struck.
As the eagle pulled upward, one of the larger rogues leaped from the cliffside, its tail lashing out in a desperate strike. The stinger sliced deep into the eagle's side, and a spray of golden-red blood hit the rocks. The eagle faltered, letting out a cry of agony, but it did not let her go.
The wind howled as the great Eagle struggled to keep its wings level. Every flap sent a fresh spray of blood onto Lin Wan's clothes. She could feel the bird's strength waning; the scorpion's venom was likely already beginning to numb its powerful muscles.
With a final, desperate cry, the Eagle banked toward a jagged, isolated cliff jutting out from the highest peak of the mountain range. They didn't land so much as they tumbled.
THUD.
Lin Wan rolled across the hard stone, her breath knocked out of her. The Eagle slammed into the ground a few feet away, its massive wings splayed awkwardly. In a shimmer of golden light, the bird shifted, the feathers receding to reveal a tall, bronzed man with sharp, hawk-like features and a deep, jagged wound across his side.
[Ding! Mission Opportunity!] Weiwei chimed in.
[Objective: Save the Eagle Guardian, Wei Xiang. Use your reward: Basic Knowledge of Herbalism.]
[Reward: 100 Experience Points, Reputation with the Eagle Tribe.]
Lin Wan scrambled to her feet, her hands shaking. "Can you hear me?"
The man groaned, his eyes fluttering. "Run... little female..." he rasped, his hand clutching the wound that was already turning a sickly shade of purple. "The venom... it spreads fast."
Lin Wan's mind suddenly flooded with information, the names of roots, the scent of healing leaves, and the method for drawing out poison. She looked around frantically. Because this was a high mountain peak, the vegetation was sparse, but her new knowledge pointed her toward a cluster of small, blue-petaled flowers growing in the rock crevices.
Moon-shadow Lilies. They thrive in high altitudes and neutralize scorpion venom.
"I'm not running, I'm not leaving you," Lin Wan said firmly. She rushed to the flowers, crushing them between two stones to create a thick, fragrant paste.
As she worked, her mind drifted back to the village. She realized now that Mei Xiu had planned this. As a fellow Leopard, Mei Xiu knew exactly where Wang would be fighting and how to use the chaos of the Scorpion invasion to get rid of her.
If I get back, Lin Wan thought, her eyes hardening, Mei Xiu will pay for this.
She knelt beside Wei Xiang and applied the paste. He hissed in pain, his body jerking, but she held him down. "Hold still! This will draw the sting out."
[System Notification: Healing in progress... 40%... 60%...]
Meanwhile, miles away at the Leopard Tribe, the battle was ending. Wang stood over a pile of defeated Scorpions, his silver-spotted fur matted with blood. He shifted back into his human form, his face a mask of pure, primal rage.
"KAEL!" Wang roared, finding his friend waking up near the crevice. "Where is she?! Where is Lin Wan?"
Kael wince, clutching his bloodied head. "A rogue... he hit me from behind. Wang, I'm sorry... I couldn't see where they took her."
Wang's nostrils flared. He caught a scent on the wind, not just the rot of scorpions, but the lingering, bitter perfume of an unfamiliar beastman and the faint, disappearing scent of his mate.
He looked up at the high peaks, his eyes glowing. He didn't need the system to tell him she was gone. He knew. And heaven help anyone, Leopard or Scorpion who stood between him and his mate.