Reborn as a Side Character in the Beastworld

Chapter Eighty

After obliterating a small herd of colossus, Lance was in the middle of crushing the last one for his lunch beneath his dark green coils when he felt it. Something was wrong. Bailey had used his mark. He dropped his prey and at his fastest speed started heading in the direction of the City of Beasts. Then, just a few seconds later, he felt the pull. It was the same feeling he had when she had been almost crushed by the red snake, like an elastic tether that would snap him over to her when pulled too tight. The mark was summoning him to her side. But then it stopped like the tether was suddenly cut by a sharp claw.

Anxiety punched him in his empty gut and he pushed himself to move impossibly faster in the direction he felt her. She was alive but in what circumstance or for how long, he didn't know. All he knew was she needed him and he needed to get there before it was too late.

Kit ran through the tunnels he had made as fast as his four little legs would carry him. Twist after turn he ran until he popped out of the exit closest to the castle. He was worried that even if he found his papas, they wouldn't be able to understand him since none of them were foxes, but he worried in vain. His papas already knew. What looked like a small army was already headed his way with Papa Winston, Papa Shuu, Papa Harvey and big brother Oliver in the lead. Behind them were the tiger uncles that helped keep him and mama safe along with a few foxes and leopards.

When they saw spotted Kit, they made a beeline towards him.

"Cub!" Yelled Winston in relief at seeing the little fox. "You're alright!" He held his arms open and Kit jumped into them, greedy for the sense of safety they provided. "Where's your mama? What happened?"

Whether it was relief in seeing his papas or sadness over what happened, the little fox began to howl. All three of his papas became flustered, trying to soothe him and looked toward the foxes in their group for translations.

One fox, the black one who was mated to the female Bailey had brought back to life spoke up. "He says scorpions attacked the tunnels and killed Tristan and Carl. He says the queen is fighting against a four-stripe scorpion by herself and to hurry."

His words made everyone gasp and the sense of urgency they had before filled them up once again.

All of Bailey's mates understood that Bailey had not won that fight as they could feel her mark getting further away from them. Their only solace was knowing Bailey was still alive.

"You did good coming to us." Shuu said as he patted Kit on the head, "We need you to lead us back to her, cub." They needed to go back to where she had been so they could follow the most direct trail to her. The marks gave them a general direction and a distance but it wasn't detailed or specific enough to follow alone. Even if they knew the final destination was flame city, they hoped to get to her before she was taken that far.

Winston set Kit down and the cub took off without a second thought, heading back to the cavern he had left his mama. The entire group of seventeen people followed close behind.

When they got to the cavern, they saw an unconscious Carl and a barely conscious Tristan. Tristan's father, the black fox, went to his son's side, had him shift to beastman form and then helped him stand.

"Boy. What happened?" Tristan's father asked.

Tristan shook his head as if to clear it, "Scorpion King knew where we were. The Ape King told him everything." He clenched the fist of the arm that was draped around his father's shoulders hard enough it bled. "It was my fault."

Shuu grabbed the fox by his throat, tearing him from his father's arms and pushing him up against the wall. "Explain." He said in a deep and threatening tone.

Tristan didn't resist. He would've done the same and he felt like he deserved more than a little rough handling. "The Ape King would ask me sometimes how things were going in the tiger territory. He asked if I and the other foxes were fitting in alright. I told him about the tunnels and my job as the prince's mentor."

Shuu was well aware of how the Ape King could convince people to trust and confide in him. But he didn't have time for Tristan's self-chastisement, so he let the fox down and turned to Winston. The tiger nodded. They were of the same thought. It was time to start tracking.

Winston instructed everyone in the group to begin the search.

"I'll help too." Tristan said. Though he still looked like he would be better off in the clinic, no one objected. Not even the healer. The more people they had, the better chance they had at finding her. The hunt was on.

They had to split into groups shortly after leaving the cavern as Bailey's scent and the scent of scorpions went a couple different ways. Only Tristan knew the Scorpion King's scent and was able to follow that but they couldn't put all their eggs in one basket in case the Scorpion King had passed Bailey to another feral.

When the scent took them too far from the city, Winston had to order others to go back. They couldn't leave the territory undefended if they wanted a place to come home to. If this was all the Ape King's plan, then the minute they were gone, he may try taking over the Tiger King's territory. Tristan insisted on continuing the search and so did Shuu, but Winston order Shuu to stay behind with Kit and Harvey. Bailey would be extremely upset if anything happened to her cub and Harvey wasn't enough to protect him alone. Shuu also needed to stay behind in order to keep the soldiers organized for unexpected attacks.

Though it frustrated and pained Harvey and Shuu to be left behind, they also knew how important it was to keep their cub and territory safe. Kit also objected to being taken back to the city. He howled and cried at how he was strong enough to help. The six-month-old cub had to be carried back and consoled that papa Winston would find her. They suspected that Lance was already on his way to her, following the pull of the mark, and they told Kit that papa Lance would be sure to bring them all back safe.

Tristan and Winston continued on, following the strongest scent trail but t some point, Bailey's scent seemed to be everywhere and nowhere all at once. They lost a day trying to find the trail again. It wasn't until they reached the very edge of the desert that they resigned themselves to the fact that they had failed to rescue her in time. She was now within the maze that was Flame City.

Tristan and Winston stood on the edge of the desert, looking out over the hot and barren expanse of land. Mirages shimmered in the heated air and they knew the trek would not be an easy one.

Then a giant green snake idled up beside them. "I'm sure something horribly unavoidable happened that forced you to leave our mate's side during her estrus, but to think that she was taken so far as this. You've really outdone yourself tiger." Though he was a constrictor, venom seeped from his words.

Neither Tristan nor Winston were surprised to see him and both hung their heads in failure.

"Though I really shouldn't have any expectations, do either of you have a plan? Or are we going to barge in and take on a city with just the three of us?"

Winston looked out at the setting sun over the sand. "I've been here before but never past the arena where fights for strength and resources are held."

Unexpectedly, it was Tristan who spoke up. "I know the underground."

Both tiger and snake looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"It isn't rare for odd colored beasts like myself to come here in search of...well anything we desire. I came here and stayed for a few months looking for something that would make my life just a little bit worth living. I never found it, but I became familiar with the city." He knelt down and grasped a handful of sand, letting it sift through his fingers. "The problem is, the sand. Only a four stripe with burrowing capabilities can control the flow of it. Without that power, it could take months to locate her."

Winston cursed.

"And how far away are you from your fourth?" Lance asked knowingly.

Winston gave him a confused look. Instead of explaining, Tristan pulled aside his thick ponytail of red and black hair. In addition to the one strip under his eye, the fox had two more vertical gold stripes on the back of his neck.

"Not far." He answered.

"Good" Lance said, nodding his head. Then he pulled a bag out from underneath a scale and handed the fox four clear gems. "Get your stripe and let's go."