[CHAPTER 16.2: THE LIZARDS]
Things went according to plan. Because Moro had been inactive for quite a while, never in their deepest thoughts that the Moro would strike today. Tayen and Mihaje were waiting at the cliff of a pass that they had predicted the Zov armies would go after their camps were ambushed. This was the Ang's border so the Ang tribe would definitely come, since the Ang and Zov tribes were already allies.
"They are just too simpleminded," Tayen snickered, "Raneki is everything but a leader. He is just an idiot when it comes to war."
Mihaje who was by his side, kept quiet as he observed the injured wolf soldiers strode into the pass nervously. Mihaje raised his hand, and all the lizard soldiers got into position. They were hiding behind the rocks and waiting for their next command.
As soon as Mihaje gave the signal, the lizard soldiers pushed the huge rocks down to the pass, trapping the injured Zov armies in the middle.
"The Ang will arrive very soon. Let us go." Tayen turned around to leave.
Mihaje watched from above as his troops charged into the pass before he too, left the cliff with Tayen.
*****
"Are you supposed to run this fast?" Bella bent down as her hands gasped the saddle tightly.
"Yes, Lady Bella. The war has started so we cannot be here." The lizard Supa explained,
"The Ang will go through this path and we will cross over them if we do not hurry."
Bella pursed her lips as she leaned closer to Supa's back. The wind messed up her hair and she felt like there were sands flew into her eyes. All of a sudden, there was a high pitched screaming from above. A lightning bolt struck the ground in front of them and Supa was thrown a step back.
"Are you alright, Lady Bella?" It asked, turning its head to look at her briefly, "Hold on tight."
"Well, well... What do we have here?" A male voice sounded from above their heads, "a Moro scum."
Strong wind blowing from above. It wasn't an ordinary wind. Bella knew she had heard that voice before. She gazed up and her eyes widened in surprise. Above them, several beastmen were flapping their wings, all carrying crossbows in their hands and were aiming their arrows at Bella and Supa.
Amongst the winged beastmen, there was one she recognized immediately. The one in front who had a triple arrow large crossbow in his hand, and the only one with a huge dark brown pair of wings. His striking yellow irises, the red pigment painted across his eyes and his fair complexion...
Supa had prepared itself for the worst. The raven soldiers behind Garuda were about to fire their arrows when they saw Supa crouch down as though preparing to escape or maybe to attack, but Garuda raised a hand to halt his troops.
"Wait," he said, "hold your arrows."
Garuda's eyes immediately widened when he realized it was her-- the young female he had failed to save.
But why is she being with a Moro? He wondered.
"Lizard, release that female right away." Garuda had his hand stretched out, palm facing Supa. Bella could see electricity sparked from his palm, she knew what he was capable of, she had seen it before. Although he was no match for Gaharu, Garuda's lightning could easily shishkabob a lizard.
"You shall not take Lady Bella away!" Supa's rumbling hiss louden as a warning to the enemy.
"Then prepare to die."
Bella knew that Supa stood no chance against the winged beastmen, she immediately raised her hands and yelled,
"Wait, Garuda!"
Garuda's sharp eyes widened. She remembered his name. He didn't even know hers.
"I'm willing to go with you, but on one condition," Bella said loudly, "spare him."
"What?" Garuda frowned when the young female made such a request.
"Lady Bella, no! I gave my words to the general that I will protect you with my life." Supa was unwilling. It would rather die fighting.
"Listen, Supa, I don't wish for anyone to sacrifice themselves for me. Tell Mihaje to rest assured, Garuda will not harm me." Bella was sure of it. The eagle was her savior when she first came to this world. Why would he harm her?
"Let him go, and I will go with you. There's no need for bloodshed."
Garuda's striking yellow irises stared long at her stern face before finally opening his mouth,
"You have my word."
"But, general!" One of the raven soldiers wanted to speak up his mind, but Garuda silenced him with a sharp glare and one raise of his hand,
"Lower your weapons." He commanded. The other winged beastmen had no choice but to obey.
"Supa, tell Mihaje that I chose to follow them myself." Bella stood on the saddle as she lifted both her hands.
Garuda understood her and he slowly flew down. His arms grabbed her, carried her princess style and flew higher in the air.
"To Bear Castle."
"Yes, general!"
The tall tree branches shook as their flapping wings caused strong whirling wind. Supa watched until the Zov soldiers flew away, with a heavy heart, it turned around to head back to the camp to report the matter to Mihaje.
*****
Being small and useless, he questioned the reason for his existence. It had been days since the snake clan had taken everything from him. The wound on his feet was inflamed and he could not run anymore.
"Eat something, you will die if you do not." A childish voice spoke, as a pair of small hands handed over a piece of raw meat on a leaf to him.
He growled warningly at the small one, who seemed almost the same age as he was. Perhaps a little bit younger.
"Were your clans attacked by the snake clan?" The younger one asked. But he did not reply.
He had been running nonstop for days, and climbed the tallest mountain and hid himself in that small cave. Then this younger one found him. He kept bringing food and water for him everyday. The younger one left the food and water there because he didn't touch any of them. But still he came by every evening and seemed like he was sincere and had no ill intention.
"My father and mother were killed by the snakes too," the younger one said again, "I understand your pain."
"You do not. My entire village was burnt." He finally spoke. His voice was trembling, holding back his tears.
"I tell you what, if you eat this meat, I will teach you something that only my clan knows. I am sure that it can help you protect yourself from danger." The younger one stretched out his hand forward, and sparks of electricity were seen emerging from his palm. A flash of lightning from his palm struck the big rock near where they were and immediately shattered it.
His mouth widened in shock. He had seen something like that before. His father and his uncle could ignite flames out of their mouths. They said they would teach him how to do it when he is older, but they're gone now.
He turned to the younger one with awe in his eyes,
"How did you do that...?"
"Eat first, and I will tell you all about it. But you have to promise me one thing." The younger one said, handing out the piece of meat to him.
"What is it?"
"Be my brother."
He subconsciously let out a laugh. The younger one gave him the most polite smile ever when he took the meat and ate it. Although it was only a piece of meat, someone was willing to help. It was a pure, simple act of kindness.
Days gone by and the younger one had taught him something very useful. He has not yet mastered it but he knew he would. The younger one even treated his inflamed wound.
"Why are the sparks from your palm white, and mine is reddish?" He asked while he was practicing the special skill.
"I do not know," the younger one answered, "perhaps it is because you and I are not the same kind of beast?"
"Why do you come here every day, do you not have friends or other family?"
The younger one lowered his head as he let out a sigh, "sadly, I do not."
The younger one had told him that no one in his clan would want to befriend him.
"Why is that?"
"If you notice, I am yet a fledgling. I cannot fly." The younger one replied.
"So...?"
"Nobody likes a burden."
He stared at the younger one's back. Younger one's pair of wings were mostly pin feathers, he had not yet developed wing feathers that were large enough for flight.
He then stared down at his own clawed fingers. He could totally relate to being a burden. He too, was unable to do anything for his father and mother when their village was attacked. His father and mother died protecting him, protecting their home. All he knew was to run away.
"We are brothers, yes? Brothers to the end?" The younger one asked.
"Yes," he nodded, "brothers to the end."
Their simple friendship continued for almost five years. He kept himself hidden there in that small cave, occasionally came out just to hunt for food, and the younger one would come every two or three days to tell him about what was going on outside. He had mastered the skill that the younger one had claimed only his clan knows, and he had witnessed how the younger one grew from a pin feathered fledgling to a young beastman with a gigantic pair of wings. His wings were so big, it dragged behind him when he walked.
"I really do not understand how come you can get so big, when you have nothing to eat here." The younger one teased him one day, about his appearance.
True, he too, had grown so big, his biceps were double the size of the younger one's.
"Do you not realize how quiet this forest is now? The manoks here had become my dung."
They laughed together. Those simple days had gone by peacefully, but they never had thought that fate would play them so cruelly.
The younger one was followed by one of his clan members one day, and the news of him helping a refugee had reached his clan leader. The clan elders were very unhappy and the leader had given orders to chase the refugee away. The younger one could only plead and cry, as he watched his only friend being beaten and wounded, before being thrown down from the tallest mountain of the land.
He survived that fall, however, he was badly injured. He had several broken bones and fractured ribs. He crawled painfully to safety. He didn't want to die. Not there, not without a fight. He had yet to avenge his clan.
He knew he was stronger than before, he was no longer a cub, but not strong enough. He vowed to make himself the strongest tiger warrior ever and restore his clan's honor and name.
*****
His eyelids slowly flipped open. He stared at the draped ceiling of his chamber and sighed long.
Why were the memories of his past kept reappearing in his head recently?
"Come in," Gaharu uttered when he heard a knocking on his door, his morning voice sounded coarse.
The servants came in with a wooden basin filled with water, a clean cloth, and a toothbrushing twig. He had kept such a habit because Bella would complain nonstop about the smell and hygiene-- whatever that thing was. But even now when she was not by his side, Gaharu was still doing everything that she had told him to do. He would go to her hot spring pool once in a while to soak himself there, thinking about her.
One more full moon and a crescent moon... The Moro would escort her back to the border as they had promised. And if they don't, I shall get her back. At all costs.
*****
Bear Castle
Garuda was flying so fast that Bella could hardly open her eyelids. The wind was blowing harshly against her face so she buried her face into his chest. Her hands were grasping tightly onto his armor.
She never thought she would see him again after that incident by the river about half a year ago.
When Garuda had slowed down, Bella turned to look at the so-called Bear Castle. It was a stronghold as big as the Snake Castle, with countless enormous sized beastmen in brown furry armors guarding everywhere.
"Why did you bring me here?" She asked. Wasn't Garuda supposed to be the Zov general? Shouldn't he bring her back to the Wolf Palace instead?
"We had formed an alliance with the Ang, and we are currently here to discuss the matter of food distribution for both tribes members."
Garuda landed at the entrance. The bear soldiers only stood like statues when Garuda and the other raven soldiers arrived and walked past the guardhouse. However, Bella felt their eyes followed her when she walked past them.
She was wearing a black dress and a black manok fur coat. She realized black was the Moro tribe's color of outfits.
"I thought Ra had held you captive. How did you end up with Moro?" Garuda questioned as he walked side by side with her.
"Um... I ran away and was captured by a snake after that." Bella uttered, not sure if it was alright to say that much to him.
"I apologize, I have not introduced myself," Garuda stopped in his steps and turned to her, "I am Garuda, general of the Zov tribe."
Although she already knew that, Bella responded with a smile as she nodded once,
"Bella Montgomery, I'm not a beast but a human, a different being from another world."
After she said that, the other soldiers started to mumble between themselves.
"Another world?" Garuda rubbed his own chin, asking.
"That explains why you are so different from any other females."
"And you are very small, have you reached maturity?"
Garuda cleared his throat loudly when one of his subordinates uttered something inappropriate. Kin, the young raven soldier who had mispoken immediately lowered his head,
"Forgive my manners, general."
Bella watched as the castle inner gate opened with a loud creak of heavy metal, and she then followed Garuda straight into the castle.
"You are dismissed." Garuda gestured for his subordinates to leave so that he could have a little privacy with Bella.
The inside of the castle was quite empty, there were mostly weird drawings on the stone wall, and the guards were all standing by the walls far away. The sound of their footsteps echoed within the hallway as they paced slowly.
"I am glad that you are alive and well." Garuda said. His voice was deep. There was softness in his tone, with a hint of awkwardness.
"I'm glad that you are too," Bella replied, "I thought I'd never see you again."
Garuda let out a silent sigh, but the corners of his lips curved up a faint smile.
He brought her to another hall where there were more bulky sized guards in brown leather armors and brown fur type of ornamental shoulder pieces. Their armors looked quite similar to the Zov's, having furry shoulder pieces, but the Zov armors were mostly metal plates on their chests and forearms. And the fur on their shoulder pieces were a bit longer.
In the great hall, there was a huge seat made of stone on a raised dais, and there were two beastmen standing in front of the stone seat, talking. Several other beastmen, probably their subordinates, were there as well but were standing in a distance, as though waiting for the two to finish their discussion.
When Garuda walked into the great hall, the two beastmen both stopped their discussion and turned their heads at Garuda and Bella. What caught her attention first was the size of one of the two beastmen.
He was enormous and gigantic. His colossal height was more than seven feet. Bella stared at the beastman who had an upper jaw of a bear's face as a headdress. She subconsciously swallowed her saliva. This guy is probably a lot taller than Yao Ming...
The bear's upper jaw headdress he was wearing made him look barbaric and charming at the same time, his appearance was fearsome and he was very bulky. He had thick bushy fierce eyebrows and a short neat goatee that made his jawline appear stronger and more appealing. His eyes were all black and one could not see the whites in his eyes. His skin was healthy tan.
Gaharu had once told her that beastmen often wear the skin of deceased warriors as ornaments or as part of their armors. But that headdress is kind of creepy...

She felt like the dead bear was staring back at her.
"Garuda...?" The other beastmen next to the bear murmured, tilting his head slightly. He looked very young, with smooth fair skin but had silver white hair. Something about his face that struck her. He looked... very familiar.
Bella noticed, unlike Ra and Moro tribes, all the beastmen in Zov and Ang tribes were short haired like normal men in her world.
"Lord Borius, Lord Raneki," Garuda bowed his head slightly before he began to speak, "the team that was transporting food into the Ang border was ambushed by the Moro, general Sutakin had rushed to the scene with his troops."
"Why would they attack a small troop like the transportation team? Could it be a trap?" The silver haired beastman murmured again.
"It must be a diversion," Garuda said, turning to the one wearing a headdress, "Lord Raneki, I do not think the transportation team is their real target."
"Send reinforcements to the west and south borders, right away." The one wearing a bear headdress gave the order to one of the bear soldiers.
"Yes, my lord."
Bella nervously glanced over at the soldiers who strode past her. Their height and size were very intimidating. They were all taller and bulkier than Gaharu. And the one called Raneki was the tallest. He was immensely colossal.
"Garuda, this is..." The young beastman with silver white hair tilted his head again as his sparkly silver irises gazed down at Bella. Although he appeared very young, his voice was deep and cold, like that of a middle aged man.
"Lord Borius, this here is Lady Bella." Garuda then explained how he met her earlier not far from the Ang border.
"Interesting," Borius rubbed his chin as if he had an invisible beard, "I have heard of you before. You were that young female that Garuda wanted to save from the tiger. I must say, you are an interesting female."
"Um... I guess."
She knew what he meant by that. She went from the Ra tribe to the Moro tribe, and now she had entered Ang's land without a scratch.
Bella then nodded her head and smiled politely,
"Nice to meet you, Borius, and Raneki."
*****