grimy bandages were all that greeted him. The bandages were stiff with age, their edges frayed, and the canteen felt light in his hands, its l

is voice very audible in the room's oppressive silence. Th

cold beneath him, the chill seeping into his bones as he sat down. A sharp, stabbing pain shot through his arm as he moved, a brutal reminder of the c

inside was dry as dust, the faint smell of mildew wafting out as he peered inside. He sighed, a sound heavy with exhaustion, and

ds exposed. He winced as he wrapped the rough fabric around the deep bite on his arm, the pressure sending fresh waves of pain radiating through his shoulder. Th

e was sleek and pink but bore a nasty gash where the creature had bitten him. Blood matted the tail, and the wo

at vibes," he muttered, d

nt. That would be too cruel." He chuckled wryl

enemies aren'

was. His paws were still slick with blood, his claws sharp and unfamiliar. The tail was just ano

the tail's movements made it difficult. Every time he thought he had it,

ed groan, his ears flat

d to work with thi

swers, only the silenc

-

aved, the adrenaline from the fight slowly ebbing away, leaving behind a dull ache in his arm and the persistent t

rush of the forest near his grandfather's village. The sun had been high, casting dappled light through the canopy, and the air was thick with the scent of eart

, sending him sprawling. Pain had shot through his leg, sharp and immediate, and when he'd

s mother had been in the garden when he arrived, her hands stained with soil from tendin

e'd knelt beside him, her calloused hands gentle as she examined the woun

d warned, her dark eyes meeting his. "B

she'd taken a strip of clean cloth,which was part of an old dress she'd cut up for bandages, the same blue as the sky at daw

firm, "how many times have I told yo

s burning with shame. She wasn't yelling, but the di

oice trembling. "I just... I wanted to

or a moment, she'd just looked at him, her dark eyes searching his face. Then she'd reached out,

t playing doesn't mean being reckless. You have to think, Femi.

rds at the time. How could he? She was his mother, strong, unshakeable

ce, her hands were so vivid, so real, it was as if she were right there with him. But she wasn't. She was gone, a

rough wall was still hard against his back, the pain in his arm and tail sti

s yellow eyes and jagged teeth flashed in his mind, refusing to be ignored. Fem

uttered to himself, his voice