CHAPTER 541: AN ENCOUNTER WITH AN OLD FRIEND 2

Back inside the maze of stones, Lara pressed forward. The path twisted and branched like a labyrinth carved by the gods themselves. She crawled through narrow gaps, squeezed past jagged walls, and stumbled into cavern after cavern, her breath echoing off the stone.

Finally, she emerged into a wider chamber. A thin crack split one wall, and through it, a pale blade of sunlight pierced the gloom. It shimmered faintly on the rocky floor like a promise of hope.

Lara pressed both hands to her chest, feeling her heart thunder against her ribs. She exhaled shakily, letting relief wash over her.

Then a sound froze her in place.

From the shadows beyond the beam of light, four pairs of eyes ignited in the darkness — glowing amber, unblinking, predatory.

A deep, guttural growl rumbled through the cavern, vibrating in her bones.

Lara froze, her breath catching as four tigers emerged from the shadows — silent, powerful, and watching her with molten-gold eyes. Their striped coats rippled under the dim light, muscles moving with predatory grace.

Thunder stepped forward first. A deep, throaty chuff rolled from his chest. It was not a growl, but a greeting. He brushed his massive cheek against the largest of the newcomers, then lowered his head to gently nuzzle the smaller ones. His tail swayed, brushing theirs in a gesture that was unmistakably tender.

For a long heartbeat, Lara could only stare. His family.

"These must be your kin, Thunder," she whispered, her voice soft but steady. "You’ve got three cubs... a year old, maybe?"

The cubs — already as large as hunting hounds — watched her with bright curiosity. One crept closer, sniffing the air before retreating to its mother’s flank. Lara’s hand twitched with the instinct to reach out, but she held still. They’re still wild after all, and I’m still an intruder.

The tigers circled her in silence, their heavy paws barely whispering against the cave’s floor. One by one, they sniffed her, testing her scent, judging her worth. Lara’s heart pounded, but she stood her ground, trusting Thunder’s quiet acceptance to keep her safe.

"Thank you... for saving me back there," she murmured when they finally backed away. She reached out and patted Thunder’s broad head, her fingers brushing the warmth of his fur. "But I can’t stay. If I don’t get out soon, the others will never find me."

Thunder seemed to understand. With a low rumble, he turned and padded deeper into the cave, glancing back as if urging her to follow. His mate and cubs slipped silently behind them, their eyes gleaming like twin suns in the dark.

They wound through narrow passages slick with damp moss. As she walked and sometimes crawled on all fours, her sense of smell was assaulted by the musty, pungent, and acrid odor of bat droppings.

Finally, Thunder halted before a narrow fissure in the stone, barely wide enough for a person to squeeze through sideways.

"Thank you, Thunder," Lara whispered, laying a hand on his muzzle. "Take care of them."

Thunder pressed his head against her shoulder, a final farewell, then nudged her toward the opening. Lara squeezed through and emerged into the open — into a dense, living sea of green. The forest was alive with birdsong and the whisper of leaves. No Zuran soldiers in sight.

Tyron was wrong. There was another exit in the southwest.

Crouching low, she withdrew a dagger from the sheath strapped to her thigh. The Zuran commander had been careless — too sure of his victory to check for hidden weapons. Lara smirked. It was his mistake.

Working quickly, she gathered straight twigs and stripped them smooth. With deft fingers, she bound a bundle of vines into a makeshift quiver, then ground the leaves of a toxic plant between two stones. The thick, dark, and pungent sap oozed — perfect for coating her arrows.

When she was ready, she crept toward the cave’s main entrance. Ten soldiers guarded the opening, and another five lounged beneath the shadow of a giant tree.

Lara moved like smoke, silent and unseen. She threw each arrow with deadly precision, the makeshift darts striking within two heartbeats. Cries of pain broke the stillness as soldiers crumpled, paralyzed by the poison. The forest swallowed their groans.

It wasn’t lethal — she didn’t need it to be. Just enough to buy her time.

When the last man fell, Lara crouched behind a boulder, breathing hard. These were the weaker soldiers. Tyron’s elite fighters still waited somewhere beyond. She weighed her chances — and made her decision.

She vanished into the forest’s shadow, leaving behind faint, deliberate marks — a trail only her allies would recognize.

...

Tyron and his men waited at the mouth of the cave. The air was thick with the damp scent of stone and moss, the only sound the distant drip of water echoing from within. Time dragged on for a long time, but no one emerged.

Then, a figure stumbled out of the shadows. It was a soldier, bloodied and gasping. He collapsed at Tyron’s boots, smearing the dirt crimson.

"G-General..." he wheezed. "We were ambushed... by that woman. The others— they are too weak... to follow..."

Tyron’s jaw tightened. A dangerous calm washed over him before it shattered into fury.

"What?" he roared, his voice reverberating off the cavern walls. "Fifteen trained men — defeated by one woman?"

His boot slammed into the soldier’s ribs. The man let out a choking gasp, rolled once, and went still — his head striking a rock with a dull crack. Silence fell.

One of Tyron’s commanders stepped forward, wary. "General... the scout said she was heading southwest. That’s the direction of the hanging bridge — the path to Zura."

Tyron’s eyes narrowed, a cruel smile cutting across his face. "Then that’s where she’ll die."

Meanwhile, Lara pressed on through the wilderness, her breath coming in shallow bursts. The forest around Mount Etna was a labyrinth of roots and shadows, unfamiliar and unforgiving. She moved swiftly but carefully, pausing only when exhaustion forced her to.

Each step sank into damp earth. Vines snagged her boots. The air was thick with the hum of unseen insects and the scent of decaying leaves. She wiped sweat from her brow, scanning the canopy — trying to orient herself by the sun’s light.

West, she told herself. I’m heading west.

But as the golden glow slowly tilted, realization struck her like a slap. The sun wasn’t at her back — it was to her right.

Southwest.

Lara’s stomach dropped. "How could I make such a novice mistake?" she muttered under her breath, anger flaring at her own carelessness.

Then she froze.

From somewhere ahead came the low, chaotic roar of rushing water. Her frown deepened. A river? Or a waterfall?

Curiosity and caution wrestled within her. She tightened her grip on her dagger and pushed through the undergrowth, branches scratching her arms as she followed the sound.

The trees thinned, light brightened — and she stepped into a clearing.

But cold steel glinted before her eyes.

A half-circle of soldiers surrounded her, blades drawn and ready, their faces hard and cruel.