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Silence had fallen over the great hall.

It was that heavy kind of silence where you knew there were actually still hundreds of things to discuss, where it was actually important to talk to one another, but where you could neither find the right words nor were you in the right frame of mind to do so.

After the herbivores had left the great hall and the worst of the anger had subsided, the Great Khan had slumped down on his throne with a deep sigh. He had sent the others back to their respective tasks so he could have a moment of peace.

Pecada had retired to the harem and would be devising a few teasing schemes there with the other concubines, with which they could distract him later. He was somehow looking forward to finding out what his ladies had come up with for him, but that would have to wait a little while.

His daughters had promised to devote themselves to their studies. There was still so much for the two of them to learn, and soon the time would come for them to choose a mate. The thought of it made him somewhat uneasy, for he would be reluctant to entrust his darlings to another tiger, even if it were one of his warriors. It wasn’t that he wouldn’t entrust his life to his warriors without hesitation ‒ they were all capable and reliable men ‒ but entrusting one of his daughters to them was a whole different story. The warriors would have to earn that right first…

Though he had to admit that the longer he thought about it, the less certain he was that his warriors were even capable of taming his daughters. At least when it came to Amelia, he wasn’t so sure. His eldest was a truly strong-willed young tigress, and she could be very stubborn at times. Emily, on the other hand, was, in his opinion, a hopeless romantic; the tiger who wanted to win her heart would have to be a prince from a fairy tale… or at least a dashing hero who had slain some kind of monster

“Well, the monster part might just take care of itself…”

He muttered to himself, gazing at the large double doors leading to the rest of the temple ‒ the same ones through which the High Priestess had passed when she had retired to the priests’ quarters. She had said she wanted to spend a little more time with the clan’s acolytes and the ancient scriptures; besides, the duties of her office demanded her attention.

And so he had been left alone in his throne room. Alone with his anger, his fears, his thoughts, and his needs. At that moment, he didn’t know which was worse: his anger at himself for having once again failed to steer a gathering with the herbivores into orderly channels and keep it there, or his anger at those very grass-eaters who, on the one hand, were right, but on the other hand could not see the bigger picture, did not grasp the threat that loomed, threatening to drag them all to ruin ‒ or the fear of precisely this threat, which he could not yet assess and did not yet know if it even existed.

And once again, the thoughts swirled in his head, threatening to descend into a death spiral that consumed his entire being and tried to devour him. He was literally boiling inside as he tried to channel his thoughts and all his fears into rage, because at least that was something he could handle. Now he just had to find a way to let it out. He had to allow his rage to find its way out of him, or else something even worse would happen in the end. Growling softly, he rose from his throne and left the great hall. He would head to one of the courtyards where his troops usually held their training sessions. At this time of day, however, hardly anyone would be there training, especially since there were only a few tigers left on guard in the temple anyway. Most of them ‒ almost all of them ‒ were out in the jungle, securing their territory. The few who were still here were either far too young or already too old for military service, and of course his priestesses were still in the temple.

Quietly and stealthily, he crept through the temple’s corridors until he reached one of the colonnades that would lead him to his destination. The late afternoon sun shone through the columns into the passageway, bathing it in golden light. A smile played on his lips as the Great Khan stepped through the columns into the courtyard. It was one of the smaller courtyards, its walls lined with shelves and weapon racks, armor racks, and training dummies. The shelves and weapon racks were stocked with all manner of training weapons, from swords to maces and clubs, from spears to lances, all the way to shields and armor. Their entire arsenal, which they used in battle against their enemies, was gathered here. Admittedly, these were wooden training weapons whose blades and tips had been ground down to a blunt edge so as not to injure the trainees unnecessarily; though a strike from one of these swords was still quite painful, even through the training armor.

The Great Khan approached one of these stands and examined the selection of weapons. He had always preferred the spiked clubs; they came closest to a tiger’s paw strike and increased the wielder’s reach by nearly a meter, but he was familiar with all his clan’s weapons and could handle them with ease. He ran his clawed hand over the weapons and finally settled on one of the swords. He examined the elegant weapon. The clan’s craftsmen had gone to great lengths even with the training weapon. It had been carved from a single piece of mahogany, and they had inlaid small, round stones into the blade to simulate the weight of the real weapon. He took the blade from the stand and swung it a few times to get a feel for its balance, while slowly moving away from the weapons rack and approaching the training ground. Normally, the tigers trained with and against each other, since an opponent in the jungle would, after all, fight back; but since he was alone in this courtyard, he had to make do with one of the training dummies, which they hung on frames resembling gallows. These dummies were modeled after the clan’s typical opponents: water buffalo, okapis, tapirs, but also jaguars, wolves, and even other tigers. They served as targets for the new recruits during their first exercises, so that they could be taught the basic techniques. They were usually made of wood, and their torsos and limbs were padded with a thin layer of straw so that the recruits wouldn’t injure their wrists when they struck them.

The leader of the Tigers picked out a Jaguar dummy and stood in front of it. He examined the crude doll and concluded that it didn’t even begin to resemble Garra, but it would have to do for now. Concentrating, the Tiger assumed the starting position he had practiced countless times in the past, even though they all knew that in a real fight, no opponent would ever give them the time to assume the perfect stance. For training purposes, however, and to perfect the technique until it had become second nature ‒ so much so that one no longer needed to think about it ‒ this was a common and accepted practice.

He held his slashing weapon low, shifted his weight to his front leg, and focused on the sequence of strikes he intended to execute. It was a classic three-strike combination that, if executed correctly and all strikes landed, would almost certainly take the opponent out of the fight ‒ if not more.

A low growl escaped him as he readied himself, then everything happened very quickly. The sword whistled through the air, striking the dummy on the gallows three times in rapid succession and sending it into a sway, while the loud thud of the blows still echoed off the courtyard walls. The first strike, executed from the lower left with a backhand swing across the opponent’s torso, was intended to knock the opponent’s weapon out of the way and, if possible, inflict the first damage to the enemy’s torso. The second strike, executed from the first, below the ribcage from right to left, was meant to split the opponent’s now-exposed armor in the middle, thereby clearing the way to the vulnerable abdomen. The third and final part of the combination was a swift thrust into the gut, which would generally incapacitate the opponent, if not kill him outright.

The Great Khan was not entirely satisfied with his execution, even though the cuts had been quick and the thrust powerful. He caught the dummy again, let it hang motionless once more, and repeated the exercise. Faster, stronger, cleaner in execution; he took out his anger on the lifeless object until he was satisfied with the result. After the final set, he let the dummy swing and examined the blade of his practice sword. He had carved a whole series of new notches into the hard wood. Smiling, he ran his finger over the rough surface and concluded that if this had been one of the real swords, he would have had to craft a whole new set of blades. Most of their weapons had obsidian blades, for this stone-like glass could be worked wonderfully into small blades that were incredibly sharp and could inflict deep wounds even on the thickest-skinned opponent. The only problem was that these blades were extremely brittle, and it was not uncommon for the entire blade to need replacing after a fight. For most members of the unit, crafting new blades in their spare time was a sort of involuntary hobby.

Slowly, the Great Khan walked back to the weapons rack and returned the sword to its place before picking up one of the maces. These, too, were usually carved from the same reddish hardwood as the swords. He examined the mace in his hands, turning it back and forth, finding its center of gravity, and swinging it a few times. It was a very simply crafted mace, whose heavy, round head would deliver a powerful blow. The combat variants used by the Guard were usually much more elaborately designed. Often, the four claws of the tiger’s paw were carved directly into the wood itself, or recreated using embedded obsidian blades. Some clubs had large round stones embedded at the top to increase their percussive power. They were simple, primitive, yet truly terrifying weapons that shattered bones and tore wounds that healed poorly.

He approached the training dummy again, which had since stopped swinging back and forth. Fighting with a club was fundamentally different from fighting with a sword. It didn’t take much finesse to fight with a club and inflict considerable damage on an opponent; the most important thing was to land a hit and, should one miss the target, not to let the weapon’s momentum go to waste, but to use it for the next strike. Standing before the dummy, the Tiger swung the weapon a few more times before taking his stance and winding up for his first strike. It was entirely intentional that the blow whizzed just past the target; that way, he could use the momentum and, spinning around, bring his club down on the dummy with devastating force. The impact of the simple weapon was so violent that the rope suspending the dummy snapped, and it fell to the ground with a loud clatter.

Not without a certain satisfaction, he looked down at the result of his strike. It was a demonstration of his sheer strength, which would likely have cost him dearly on a real battlefield. Exposing his back so shamelessly during the swing would challenge any opponent to attack him, even though his armor would naturally protect him there. Well, this wasn’t a real battlefield, and a wooden dummy wasn’t a real opponent, but it was just good enough to let off a little steam and calm his mind. With a grin, he lifted the club and examined its head. It already bore a multitude of deep gouges and dents where the tigers had battered the hard wood with their immense strength, and now another notch adorned the upper end of the shaft. The feeling of satisfaction slowly spread further within him; he still had what it took to smash an opponent’s skull, and his rage had also subsided, at least for the most part.

Slowly, the Great Khan returned to the weapons rack, weighing the heavy weapon in his hands. He hesitated for a moment, but then he placed it back in its spot and looked back at the temple, whose dark facade stretched toward the sky and whose slowly lengthening shadows heralded the end of another day.

Now that his rage was subsiding, his worries and thoughts came back to the forefront. He had promised the herbivores he would obtain further information, which meant he would have to send at least part of his troops to gather it. Sending them into enemy territory was risky; none of the animals outside their territory would be pleased to see one of their own. He didn’t want to put his warriors’ lives at risk unnecessarily, but they needed the information. It was a moral dilemma that weighed on his mind.

Grinding his jaw, he decided to do what he had always done when he needed help making a decision: he would ask the High Priestess for advice. He did not want to base his decision solely on his knowledge and his anger, but rather to secure the blessing of his clan’s spiritual leader, and so he turned around and made his way back to the colonnade that would lead him back into the temple. It was not far from this courtyard to the priestesses’ chambers.

Once one understood the logic of the corridors inside the temple, navigating this labyrinth was easy, but until then, one could get hopelessly lost and keep ending up at the same corners of the complex. Of course, the Great Khan, who had spent most of his life within these walls, was beyond reproach in this regard, and so a short while later he stood before the double doors he knew so well, which led to the priestesses’ chambers. When the two guards saw their leader approaching, they knelt respectfully and bowed their heads. With a benevolent smile, the Great Khan stepped up to the two tigers and placed a hand on each of their shoulders.

“Rise. I request an audience with the High Priestess.”

He said quietly, taking another step back so the guards could stand up again. Once they had returned to their posts, one of them knocked on the door. A moment of tense silence passed before the door slowly opened from the inside and one of the younger priestesses squeezed through the crack in the door and bowed before the Khan.

“What can the priestesses do for the Great Khan?”

Asked the tigress, who was clad only in a skimpy loincloth and had her arms crossed behind her back. Their leader couldn’t resist taking a good, long look at the priestess first. She was exceptionally pretty, and she knew it all too well, judging by the way she was showing herself off before him. He couldn’t suppress his body’s reaction to the display of her charms, but hoped it wasn’t immediately obvious.

“I request an audience with the High Priestess. I must speak with her regarding an urgent matter.”

He explained with a gentle smile, offering a very slight bow to emphasize his request. His voice betrayed no sign of excitement, but his body gave him away.

“Very well, I will convey your request to the High Priestess; please wait in the garden ‒ she will receive you there.”

The young priestess replied softly, and as she turned away, her eyes lingered a moment longer on his midsection, which naturally did not escape the Great Khan’s notice. It was a pity that neither he nor she was in a position to indulge these little desires at the moment.

“Oh, forget it, old man, what would a girl like her want with you anyway…”

He whispered to himself, as his gentle smile turned into a grin and he stared at the closed door for just a tiny moment longer before turning to head toward the courtyard, where she had received him the last time.

On the way there, he chuckled and shook his head. It flattered him that this young thing had taken such a keen interest in him, though he wasn’t sure if it was really because of him or his rank that a tigress who could easily have been his daughter reacted that way. His mood was certainly much better as he strolled through the colonnade, which eventually led him into the large courtyard where the tributes were held every other week and where the High Priestess usually received him, but somewhere deep down it still rubbed him the wrong way that he wasn’t simply allowed into the priestesses’ chambers. It was an ancient tradition rooted in their clan’s desire to separate the spiritual from the secular, and so the Great Khan was not allowed into the ritual chambers, and the priestesses were not allowed to enter his chambers. Of course, there had always been exceptions, and there were rituals for which the priestesses had to enter the Khan’s chambers, but as a rule, they kept their distance from one another. He would abide by these traditions today as well, just as the High Priestess did, even if that meant everything took a little longer.

At least he could wait in a beautiful, quiet, and peaceful setting.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere in the High Priestess’s chambers was relaxed, even almost exuberant. The spiritual leader of the tigers lay completely naked on a lightly padded couch, and a whole squad of her subordinates was busy grooming her claws and fur, while another priestess handed her a chalice whose fermented contents had already taken effect. Her claws were being sharpened and polished, her fur combed and brushed; in one spot or another, the priestesses were trimming her fur with extremely sharp knives. She was completely relaxed and visibly enjoyed being cared for and pampered in this way. She purred softly and repeatedly praised her priestesses for their excellent work, while she sipped from the chalice offered to her every now and then.

When the young priestess tasked with trimming her private area had finished her delicate work, she gently stroked the now short, silky-soft fuzz between the High Priestess’s legs and was rewarded by a shudder running through her superior’s body. The soft, suppressed moan that escaped the tigress in her midst testified to the arousal this treatment had triggered in her. It was only a moment, then it was over again, and the High Priestess looked down at the younger woman with a longing smile.

“It is a shame that no tiger will ever be allowed to play with this body…”

Murmured the young priestess, whereupon the leader let out another soft moan.

“Mmmhmmm… that is the price we pay when we devote ourselves to the ancestors, my child.”

She explained softly, mimicking the tone and manner of her predecessor, which drew a smile from the other priestesses, some of whom were significantly older than the High Priestess herself. She tenderly stroked the cheek of a tigress who had just finished with her claws.

“But luckily for you, that only applies to the High Priestess, so you may continue to enjoy yourselves… and woe betide you if you don’t!”

She added with a knowing smile, running her razor-sharp claws through the young priestess’s short, sleek fur; the young priestess visibly enjoyed this display of affection and purred softly.

She was just about to let her hand slide down the young priestess’s neck when a knock sounded from the door, abruptly interrupting her devotion. Almost annoyed, she turned her head toward the door and stared at the partition as if she could see through the wood.

“Honorable Mistress, the Great Khan requests an audience.”

A muffled voice came through the door, whereupon the High Priestess ‒ in a moment of weakness ‒ rolled her eyes and took a deep breath. It was only a brief moment in which she allowed herself to be a perfectly normal young woman before her sense of duty caught up with her again, and she resumed her calm, composed demeanor, looking at the priestesses surrounding her one by one. There was something like an apology in her gaze ‒ for her inadvertent outburst, but also for having to cut short their spa session.

“All right, my dears, enough pampering ‒ work calls.”

She finally said with a sigh and waited until the priestesses let go of her before slowly but elegantly sitting up.

“Can’t the Khan wait just this once?”

Asked one of the younger tigresses, who had been busy tending to her feet, and was rewarded with a benevolent smile.

“Well, the Khan can wait ‒ he always does ‒ but the longer he waits, the worse his mood gets. Even though he always goes to great lengths to hide his grief and anger from us, it’s always there, and it would not only be rude to keep him waiting, but it would also make any encounter with him much more unpleasant. So no, the Khan cannot wait, at least not longer than necessary.”

The High Priestess explained quietly, though she, too, hoped she could quickly fob off her leader so she could return to more pleasant matters. She rose cautiously, took one of the long, flowing cloaks, and put it on. She left it open so that her freshly groomed fur and her newly accentuated charms were fully on display before she opened the door herself.

It was one of the novices standing at the door, her hand still raised to knock. The young tigress before her felt a blush of shame rise to her ears when she saw her spiritual leader standing before her, practically naked, with a broad, benevolent smile. She clearly hadn’t expected the High Priestess herself ‒ and in this state ‒ to open the door. Her mouth hung open, and she was unable to take her eyes off the High Priestess’s slender figure.

“Did the Great Khan mention why he’s interrupting my routines?”

She finally asked, amusement and irritation vying with one another in her voice. It took a moment before the younger tigress could finally tear her gaze away from her and then shook her head bashfully.

“He… he only said that it was an extremely urgent matter. I sent him to the garden; he’ll be waiting for you there.”

She stammered a little in her reply, seeming somewhat unsure whether she might have made a mistake, but the High Priestess merely nodded gently and took the final step toward the door. It happened so quickly that the young tigress couldn’t react at all when the High Priestess placed her hand on her cheek, gently ran her thumb over her lips, and then kissed her tenderly. It was over before the young priestess even realized what had happened, and the High Priestess had already slipped past her into the corridor.

With a whispered, “Thanks for your trouble…,” she simply left her standing there and walked down the hallway with a lascivious sway. Meanwhile, the younger woman stood rooted to the spot, raising her hand to her lips in utter disbelief. In the room, the other priestesses giggled, for they were already familiar with this cheeky and mischievous side of the High Priestess. These little, innocent kisses were pretty much the only way left for her, after she had taken her vow of chastity, to satisfy her physical desires. Most of them had already fallen victim to her once or twice and were thus already used to it, but for the young novice, it had been her first time.

While the other priestesses were still tending to the novice, the High Priestess walked through the dark corridors of the ritual wing, grinning and chuckling to herself. She loved playing her little pranks; they were small escapes from her otherwise so serious and dreary daily life. They were small, innocent kisses, nothing of significance; she simply delighted in surprising one of her priestesses with them each time and seeing their utterly perplexed faces. So far, only Rayas had reacted quickly enough to turn a casual brush of lips into something that truly deserved the name “kiss”; but even with her, she hadn’t really been able ‒ or allowed ‒ to give herself over to it. It remained a pleasant, if cheeky, pastime.

She turned into the colonnade leading to the inner courtyard, where the Great Khan would be waiting for her, and thought for a moment about whether she should fasten her robe, but ultimately decided against it. She would show the Khan openly how he had disturbed her, and this yet again.

“Punishment is necessary…”

She murmured softly and grinned to herself, though she wasn’t entirely sure if it was really a punishment for the leader of the Tigers to have his young, attractive High Priestess standing before him practically naked. A short while later, she entered the courtyard and strolled through the well-tended raised beds in search of the person she was to speak with. She didn’t have to look far, for the Great Khan was standing in the middle of the courtyard with his back to her, staring up at the sky. He appeared completely calm, but she knew that this impression was often deceptive.

She approached him quietly from behind and finally stopped a few steps away from him.

“Don’t stare at the sun too long, Khan, or you’ll go blind.”

She said, unable to keep the grin entirely out of her voice, but she could see the Great Khan begin to smile in front of her before slowly lowering his gaze and turning toward her. He hadn’t quite turned around yet when, as tradition and propriety demanded, he knelt before her and bowed his head. It was a gesture of respect that he offered her, as he had her predecessor, without hesitation; however, his nose and eyes were now directly at the level of her crotch, and her open robe did little to prevent him from seeing. Her very own scent, paired with her freshly trimmed fur ‒ which left little to the imagination ‒ did not fail to have the desired effect.

“Rise, Khan. You’re developing a talent for disturbing me during important rituals and the few moments of relaxation I have left in my office. What is it this time that brings you to me?”

She sounded less irritated or annoyed than simply tired as she urged him to rise again, a request he did not immediately comply with. It was not directly considered shameful, or a lack of self-control, to show his arousal in front of a tigress, certainly not when she was so openly displaying her charms. Most of the clan’s tigers practically walked around the temple with a permanent erection during mating season, especially since the tigresses were often not stingy with their charms during this time. It was considered normal, almost a prerequisite, to even be selected for one of the few tolerated breedings.

Nevertheless, it was quite another matter when the tigress in question was the High Priestess, one of the few in the clan who had taken a vow of chastity by virtue of her office. Of course, she was well aware of this, and she took a mischievous pleasure in watching her leader squirm. It was no use; he couldn’t stay on his knees forever, so he took a deep breath and stood up. It was obvious that he was struggling with himself and his body, but even the Great Khan, with all his strength, could not overcome ancient instincts, with the result that his little Khan stood proud and upright before the High Priestess. She smiled, thoroughly impressed by the display of his virility; her little prank had worked, and she was satisfied. Her counterpart closed his eyes briefly and swallowed his shame before addressing her.

“I need your advice. I’ve thought long and hard about this, swallowed my anger as best I could, and tried not to give in to my hot temper, but I still don’t know exactly what to do. I can’t send the majority of the guard out as scouts into the territories beyond our borders; that would leave us vulnerable and defenseless. However, if I send out only a few, they probably won’t be able to cover enough ground and therefore won’t find anything, or worse yet, fall victim to the Nea-Phi-Lim themselves.”

He explained, slowly regaining his composure, while the High Priestess nodded. It was a tricky question, there was no doubt about that, and she was aware of the moral dilemma of the situation, but at the same time, she was no military commander; this clearly did not fall within her purview, and her lack of experience didn’t exactly help either.

They had made agreements with the herbivores that obligated them to gather more information so that, in return, the herbivores would agree to an increase in their troops. However, this required that they actually send out scouts to comb through the surrounding territories, especially the eastern ones, and return with new findings. This was unavoidable; at the same time, though, she had to agree with him that they couldn’t send too many of their troops into enemy territory, as otherwise their own defense would be at risk. So the cat was literally chasing its own tail.

The High Priestess closed her eyes and pondered the few options available to them, hoping to come up with an idea of how to make the most effective use of the limited resources at their disposal.

“Perhaps you should speak with Garra again. Find out how far the Nea-Phi-Lim have already advanced from the mountains and focus your efforts on that very area. I don’t think they will have made much more progress in such a short time. At least that gives you the chance to make the most of the few tigers we can spare… by the ancestors… ‘spare’ sounds so wrong in this context… in any case, I think that’s how you can get the most out of it.”

She suggested, her eyes repeatedly drifting downward briefly, only to snap back to the Khan’s eyes. Of course, this didn’t escape his notice, and he grinned to himself. He was by no means the biggest tiger in the temple, but his little Khan, especially when he presented himself so proudly, was quite an impressive sight. Over the last few minutes, his shame had almost completely subsided, and he had watched as the High Priestess’s ears gradually turned pink. She was allowed to look at him, she was allowed to crave him, but she was not allowed to touch him or interact with him in any other way; her vow forbade it. Her little prank had backfired, for now the constant sight of his spear was just as much torture for her as the sight of her innermost, most secret temple was for him.

The advice she had given him, however, was absolutely correct; he would speak with Garra once more and find out how far the Nea-Phi-Lim had already advanced, and then he would speak with the captain of the guard, and they would deploy the few scouts they could send precisely in those areas and hope that everything went well.

“Once again, you prove that you are wiser than your years would suggest, honorable High Priestess.”

He finally replied with a respectful bow, whereupon the young tigress nodded with a smile.

“But I would advise you to fasten your robe.”

He added with a grin, his eyes lingering a moment longer on the High Priestess’s lap.

“A lesser tiger might not have been able to control himself.”

She then pulled her robe lasciviously tighter around herself and tied the belt, thus concealing the view of her charms, but she couldn’t hide her grin. Even if her little prank had backfired a bit, it had served its purpose.

“Well, Great Khan, since your thirst for knowledge has been quenched for the moment, I’d like to take my leave now; I still have much to do, and you have a prisoner to interrogate.”

She indicated with a smile, almost shooing him out of her garden ‒ a gesture he acknowledged with a knowing grin ‒ but eventually the leader of the tigers relented. He took his leave, bowed once more, and turned to go. As he walked away from her, his gait was still a little strange; it would take a moment longer for his little Khan to fully relax, but it had been worth it.

Behind him, the High Priestess watched him for a moment longer until he finally disappeared into the colonnade, wishing once again that she hadn’t taken the vow. Everything inside her screamed for satisfaction, no matter how…

The Great Khan moved through the temple with quick but unhurried steps. This building, which he knew inside and out, held no more secrets for him. Every corridor, every niche was as familiar to him as all the small, secret shortcuts one could take if one was willing to think outside the box. Even as a small cub, he had climbed the walls and used the wide ledges of the exterior facade to avoid having to take the long route from one end of the temple to the other.

This time, his destination was the guard barracks, where he intended to “borrow” a map of the surrounding areas so that Garra could show him where to deploy his scouts. He fervently hoped the captain hadn’t taken everything with him, because otherwise his tête-à-tête with the jaguar would have to wait a little longer.

The barracks were at the far end of the temple complex, and normally one had to walk around the temple to reach them, but the Great Khan was willing to bend the rules a little, and so he found his way there much faster and via a shorter route.

The barracks were quiet and deserted, now that practically all the tigers were on duty, and the few who had remained at the temple were divided among guard duty at the main gate and the few inner checkpoints of the temple. It felt wrong that there was no tiger to be seen or heard here. The air tasted stale, and the otherwise ever-present… stench… produced by over a hundred Tigers in an enclosure far too small had clearly subsided now that the Khan’s warriors had practically abandoned these quarters some time ago.

With a sigh and a feeling that this emptiness might all too soon become a reality for other reasons, the leader of the Tigers crept through the wide corridor that ran straight through his guard’s barracks, toward the chamber the captain normally called his own.

In fact, the organized chaos that was usually the captain’s quarters was almost tidy. The leader of his troops had taken most of his equipment and a significant portion of the remaining documents with him to the command post, but a few rolled-up parchments still remained in the various drawers. Carefully, the Great Khan began sifting through the individual documents until he finally found a map that, while not particularly detailed, at least showed the area he was looking for. Satisfied, he rolled it back up and stowed the other parchments back where he had found them.

“They call it organized chaos… I can’t find any organization in here…”

He muttered to himself as he carefully stuffed the delicate scrolls back into the shelf, but he had what he wanted and withdrew from the captain’s quarters. With the rolled-up map in hand, he followed his own path back to the temple’s main building, where he would descend into the dungeon to pay the imprisoned Jaguar another visit.

Sure enough, it wasn’t long before the Great Khan found himself on the stairs leading down to the dungeon. The narrow staircase leading to the temple’s basement was lit only by the glow of a single oil lamp placed in the hallway below it. When he reached the bottom, he could see the lone tiger standing guard in front of the only occupied cell. He was in the middle of doing push-ups, counting aloud to himself, while the voice of the jaguar came from inside the cell, counting along with the tiger. The Great Khan shook his head in amusement and moved closer.

“Are you two having a good time?”

He asked as he was almost at the cell, startling his subject so much that the latter completely stumbled as he jumped to his feet. It took an uncomfortably awkward moment for the tiger to compose himself and then kneel before the Great Khan.

“Rise.”

He commanded, and the guard stood up again, though less elegantly than the leader was accustomed to.

“As I see, you’re making a great effort to stay in shape, and I assume this applies to our prisoner as well?”

Asked the Great Khan, gesturing toward the cell door. The guard nodded eagerly.

“In fact, it was Garras’ idea to train together a little; it has become a pastime we’ve grown fond of, one that helps us both fight off boredom.”

The Tiger admitted, hoping his leader had no objection. The latter merely nodded slightly.

“Well, as long as it helps, I have no objection. Open the door; I need to speak with him.”

The Khan ordered calmly, and the guard complied without hesitation. It was no longer necessary to remind Garra every time to step back from the door when it was opened; he had always been cooperative so far, so the guards refrained from doing so.

As the Khan ducked through the door, Garra was standing in front of his bunk, already waiting for him. The two mighty cats stared at each other for a moment, testing each other’s willpower, before both nodded respectfully. Neither would grant the other victory, at least not so easily. Finally, the Great Khan stepped forward and closed the cell door behind him, deliberately breaking eye contact; it didn’t feel right to be the first to avert his gaze, but he didn’t want to be bogged down in these petty power struggles forever. When he turned back to the Jaguar, he smiled thinly, gestured toward the bunk against the wall, and invited his counterpart to sit down. Garra complied and took a seat, while the Khan took the stool again.

“Greetings, Garra. As you’ve surely already heard, the talks with the herbivores didn’t exactly… hmmm… go well.”

The tiger opened the conversation, and the jaguar nodded briefly, assuming that they couldn’t have gone all that disastrously; after all, they hadn’t dragged him out of his cell and executed him immediately after, or even during, the assembly.

“Well, I can imagine that these vegetarians aren’t exactly thrilled that I’m still here.”

Garra replied quietly, glancing toward the cell door, which wasn’t locked this time. The Great Khan tilted his head slightly and grimaced.

“To be perfectly honest, they want your head… and mine, too, if they had their way.”

He admitted truthfully, resting his elbows on his knees as he rolled the coiled parchment back and forth in his hands. His counterpart nodded silently; he’d almost expected as much.

“Since you didn’t have the cell door locked, I assume that my… our execution hasn’t been scheduled yet?”

Garra finally asked and was rewarded with a snorted smirk and a shake of the head.

“Not yet, though they’ve given us an ultimatum of sorts. They’re not stupid; they know they don’t stand a chance in a fight against these Nea-Phi-Lim. They need us, but of course they have to defend their position, which isn’t entirely wrong. They want more information, proof of your story, otherwise they’ll skin us alive.”

Explained the Great Khan, pulling the low table ‒ which Garra had pushed against the wall for his training ‒ into the center between them before placing the map on it. He unrolled the parchment, and a pale but colorful map of the jungle came into view, with an area in the center outlined by a red line.

“This is a rough map of our territory and the surrounding areas…”

The tiger began, pointing to the circled area on the map.

“…the eastern mountains, from which the Nea-Phi-Lim are spreading, are here. I need to know roughly how far those cowardly bastards have already ventured so that I can deploy my scouts efficiently and find evidence of all this as quickly as possible.”

Explained the Great Khan, looking across the table at Garra, who was dutifully studying the map. It was indeed not very accurate, but that didn’t really surprise him; after all, the Tigers weren’t known for leaving their territory to explore the outside world. He doubted that even a single Tiger had left their territory in the last 200 years to make contact with the outside world. Conversely, this meant that their knowledge of geography was based on terribly outdated data, if they had any idea at all what was out there. The map marked a few landmarks, however, which provided some orientation, and Garra used them to explain the situation to the Khan. His claws scraped carefully across the old parchment as he spoke to the leader of the tigers.

“This map isn’t very accurate, but it’s all we have right now. Over the past few decades, this river has left its old bed and carved out a new one here. Here, here, and here are larger herbivore settlements ‒ mostly water buffalo and okapis ‒ which I’d avoid if I were you. The herbivores outside this area are somewhat… hmm, how should I put it…”

The jaguar began, and the Great Khan finished his sentence:

“…less submissive? Willing to negotiate? Forgiving?”

“I was thinking more along the lines of defensive, but yes, you know what I mean. Well, we found the first bodies here and here, but we jaguars aren’t really drawn to the mountains, so it’s quite possible there have been cases in the areas further east as well.”

Garra reported, marking the spots on the map by picking up small stones from the ground and placing them on the respective areas of the map, while the Khan took in the changes on the map and nodded.

“Hmm, I’ll pass this on to my scouts. Where did you find the latest victims?”

The Khan replied, looking up at his prisoner, who was focused on the map and trying to figure out where he and his companions had crossed the border. Carefully, he drew a line across the map with his claw.

“I believe, roughly in this area. It’s hard to say, since these Nea-Phi-Lim, as you call them, are actually always on the move, and of course it could be that they’ve come even closer in the meantime.”

His claw circled an area not far from one of the settlements he had previously marked, whereupon the Great Khan nodded thoughtfully. This, of course, put them in danger in more ways than one. Not only were they traveling through enemy territory, where everything and everyone was out to get them, but they would be in the immediate vicinity of one of the large settlements, and the herbivores would already be on high alert, keeping a watchful eye on themselves and their territory, making them a prime target for the Nea-Phi-Lim. The leader of the tigers didn’t like any of this at all, but what choice did he have?

“I have to admit, all of this is quite risky, but we’ll send out a handful of scouts in the hope of gathering more information and persuading our allies ‒ if you can call them that ‒ to cooperate. It would be counterproductive if we had to use force to compel cooperation.”

The Great Khan finally explained, glancing once more at the map and then at Garra, who nodded calmly. He could understand that the Tiger didn’t want to jeopardize his alliance with the herbivores; after all, they were in a win-win situation, and any deviation from it would inevitably lead to them having to split their forces and operate less efficiently.

“I’d like to help. I could lead your scouts, or we could try to make contact with the other jaguars to ask for their support.”

Garra offered, and the Great Khan was truly tempted to accept his offer, but at least for the moment, that wasn’t an option. The herbivores would see this as the ultimate betrayal, so he finally shook his head.

“I can’t release you from this cell yet. Not yet. I need more evidence first so I can convince the herbivores of the threat and the need to increase our troop strength. I don’t need a revolt right now.”

He replied, and Garra could only agree with him, even if that meant he’d be stuck in this cell even longer, a cell that was slowly robbing him of all his senses. The Great Khan, meanwhile, carefully rolled up the map and took it back before standing up. Garra remained seated, but looked up at his guard and gave a thin smile.

“Well, I’ll take my leave for now; there’s much to do.”

Garra took a deep breath and nodded.

“I wish I had a little more to do than just measure myself against the guard outside the door.”

Replied the jaguar, and both of them smiled briefly, but eventually the Khan nodded as well and turned toward the door; there was nothing he could do for the jaguar at the moment. He pushed open the door and left the cell.

When the door closed behind the Great Khan, Garras was alone with his thoughts again. For a moment, he remained seated on the bunk, reflecting on his conversation with the Khan. He fervently hoped that the scouts would find and bring back enough evidence to convince the herbivores of the threat. He wasn’t ready to be led to the scaffold just yet.

He ground his teeth, looked toward the door, and considered whether he should persuade his guard to undergo another training session, but ultimately decided against it and resolved to lie down until his next meal.

While the Jaguar was still wrestling with his fate, the Great Khan was on his way to his chambers. He would report to his daughters and wives on the outcome of his conversation with Garras and at the same time inform them that he would be leaving the temple at short notice to personally deliver the new orders to the captain of the guard. On the one hand, he was glad to be able to leave the temple; on the other, he felt a little uneasy, as he would be sending his troops into the unknown. He tried to push these thoughts aside, for it was, after all, a necessary evil, and he did not want to spoil the evening with his concubines over it, but it was not easy.

Instinctively, he quickened his pace and hurried through the corridors to the heart of the temple, where his chambers, shrouded in perpetual darkness, were located. The temptations of what awaited him there had a stronger effect on him than he was willing to openly admit. When he finally turned the last corner, he found the door unguarded; the guards had been withdrawn several days earlier because they were needed more urgently elsewhere. Besides, a harem full of battle-hardened tigresses was certainly capable of defending itself. Smiling, he approached the large door and pulled it open, the characteristic scent of many big cats in a confined space hitting him. What might deter others made his heart race; his concubines were waiting for him, and the darkness beckoned with the promise of dissolving the day’s tension into pleasure. Slowly, he crossed the threshold and let the shadows swallow him up as he closed the door behind him. Even as he moved through the antechamber, he could already hear the boisterous commotion of his women, who seemed to be enjoying themselves splendidly. He noticed how he began to relax slowly and how the tension in his neck eased.

With every step he took, his movements became more supple again, and a smile spread across his lips ‒ one that actually reached his eyes. He loved his concubines… all of them… and they loved him.

As he approached the first door, he could see, in the glow of the oil lamps, the frantic shadows of what was unfolding in the harem. The loud laughter was occasionally interrupted, but he couldn’t quite make out what his lovers were whispering to each other; then the laughter rang out again in the hallway. He grinned and walked to the door, reached for the handle, and waited a moment; then he flung the door open and stood right in the middle of them.

“What kind of treachery is being hatched here?!”

He shouted loudly, instinctively dodging the first pillow thrown at him. Some of the concubines screeched and shrieked as they nearly fell over one another, while Pecada, lounging on one of the comfortable couches, merely looked at him with amusement. Her slow, lascivious wink spoke louder than a thousand words.

“What did the High Priestess say?”

She asked just loud enough to drown out the commotion in the room, while the other tigresses continued to laugh loudly and throw pillows at each other, which the Khan skillfully dodged or caught and threw back. One by one, they struck poses and displayed their charms, hoping that the Khan would favor them over the others. Slowly, the Great Khan made his way through the giggling, cheering concubines, doling out little caresses and kisses as he made his way purposefully toward Pecada.

“She suggested a strategy to me that I’ve already discussed with Garra and that I intend to carry out. However, this requires me to go to the command post, and I’d like you and Amelia to accompany me.”

He explained when he was about two-thirds of the way there, and when he saw the disappointed expressions on his lovers’ faces, the corners of his mouth curled into a mischievous smile.

“But we still have time; after all, I can’t neglect my duties here.”

He added cheerfully, and with a soft growl, he grabbed the tail of one of the tigresses and pulled her gently but firmly toward him.

The loud laughter and shrieking of his concubines was accompanied by his growl and quickly replaced by other sounds as Pecada quietly left the room. She would have plenty of time to have her fun with him once they were on their way to the outpost. Neither of them had left the temple in a long time, and she would know how to take advantage of this opportunity, but for the moment, there were other things to attend to. She walked down the dark corridor toward her daughters’ room to let Amelia know that she would be accompanying her father and her on an outing. Emily would remain in the temple, even though it felt unfair not to take the younger one along.

But it wasn’t just in the harem that things were lively; there was also a boisterous atmosphere in the two young tigresses’ room, as the two sat facing each other on their beds and discussed animatedly which of their father’s warriors might make a suitable partner.

At the moment, it was Amelia who was trying to defend her choice to her sister:

“Oh, I like Ramirez. He’s not just big, he’s strong too, and he’s actually got something in that big head of his.”

She suggested confidently, but her younger sister shook her head vigorously.

“You’ve got that all wrong, sis. It’s ‘on the head.’ He’s got something on his head, not in his head. This ‒ admittedly ‒ big and strong idiot has clashed with a club too often in training, but I still have to admit, since I’ve seen him naked, it’s not just his muscles that are big.”

Replied Emily, gesturing with her hands to indicate the size of Ramirez’s best asset, whereupon both burst into wild laughter and pillows changed hands.

“He’s not stupid, just a little… slow!”

Amelia defended her candidate, but Emily, having gotten a taste for it, wouldn’t let up.

“Listen, sweetie, he’s going to try to stick his really enormous thing in your belly button ‒ that’s how stupid he is.”

The younger one retorted and was promptly hit right in the face with a pillow before Amelia once again took her chosen one’s side.

“That’s not true, I… I’ve seen that he knows where it belongs!”

It sounded almost defiant, and she crossed her arms over her chest as she stared at Emily, who very slowly removed the pillow from her face and looked at her incredulously over its edge.

“You didn’t… you didn’t really see him with someone else…”

She countered indignantly, but Amelia just grinned from ear to ear and nodded slowly.

“Yes, yes I did… he was doing it with one of the priestesses, in one of the alcoves in the third courtyard. By the ancestors, you should have heard her ‒ with the sounds she was making, it must have been an incredible feeling.”

The older sister recounted, and the longing and excitement in her voice were clearly discernible as she dreamily rolled her eyes. When she heard that, Emily’s restraint was gone, and she leaped over to Amelia’s bed, knocking her sister over in the process. After a brief struggle, the older of the two had to admit defeat, and Emily crouched over her sister, breathing heavily, and stared at her with a murderous grin, while the defeated one looked up at her with a sheepish smile.

“You have to tell me everything, and don’t you dare leave out a single detail!”

Demanded the younger tigress, whereupon Amelia laughed loudly and tried once more to free herself, but she didn’t stand a chance against her sister, who was in the tactically superior position. When Amelia finally gave up, she looked deep into Emily’s eyes, and both felt the tension between them, but before either of them could act, a voice pierced the silence of the room.

“What is she supposed to tell you, my dear?”

Following the voice, both girls looked toward the door of their room, where their mother was leaning against the doorframe, grinning. The horror was written all over both their faces, and Emily practically jumped off her sister and sat obediently on the edge of the bed. Pecada shook her head gently, entered the room, and walked over to Emily’s bed, where she sat down and looked over at her two girls. Amelia sat up, while Emily shifted restlessly back and forth on the edge of the bed. With an amused smile, Pecada tilted her head to the side and raised her eyebrows.

“So, spill it ‒ what have the two of you been up to now?”

She asked again and waited until one of her daughters finally spoke up. Emily was already bubbling with excitement, but she knew it wasn’t her place to reveal Amelia’s little adventure. Meanwhile, the older of the two pressed her lips together, unwilling to give away her little secret so easily, but when her mother finally blinked slowly and nodded almost imperceptibly, she knew she wouldn’t get away without a confession.

“I… I saw Ramirez… doing it with one of the priestesses.”

It finally burst out of Amelia, and she sounded much more excited than she actually intended to, while Emily hopped up and down excitedly beside her. Pecada took a deep breath, rolled her eyes, and shook her head in disbelief.

“Children, children, children… and that’s such a big deal? You’ll have to deal with it soon enough. It’s a wonderful thing, but it’s not that exciting either. Give it a little more time.”

Explained the Khan’s first concubine with a motherly smile, before sitting up straight on the edge of the bed and looking over at her daughters with a slightly more serious expression.

“But let’s leave that for now; your father sent me. He, I, and you, Amelia, are going to take a little trip. Emily, you’ll stay here in the meantime and make sure everything is in order here in the temple. I’m counting on everything being in perfect order when I return.”

She remained calm and serious as she told her daughters about her lover’s plans, and while Amelia’s eyes literally began to light up at the prospect of being allowed to leave the temple for an excursion, Emily looked rather disappointed. Once again, her sister was being given preferential treatment, and even though she knew, of course, that this had primarily to do with her parents wanting to prepare Amelia for the succession to the throne, it still rankled her. Yes, it was a good opportunity to give her sister insight into her father’s not-so-everyday affairs, but why shouldn’t she be there too? Wouldn’t this insight help her later in life as well? She felt left behind, as if she weren’t suited for this task, like the proverbial fifth wheel. Pecada didn’t miss this. She waited a moment and then sought eye contact with her younger daughter.

“Emily, sweetheart, I know you feel left out, and I completely understand that, but the reasons for it might be different from what you and Amelia think. Your father and I are worried ‒ it’s very dangerous right now, even in our jungle. Much more dangerous than usual. We can’t rule out the possibility that something might happen to us while we’re out there. We do have a contingent of bodyguards with us, but if even half of what we’ve found out so far is true, the bodyguards won’t be much use to us either.”

She explained calmly, raising a hand to stop Emily from interrupting her.

“Your father and I just want to make sure that, in the unlikely event that something happens to us, at least you’ll be safe here and able to take the reins. I know, my dear, it’s a heavy burden, and I wish we didn’t have to do this. If everything goes even halfway according to plan, we’ll end up laughing about how overly cautious we were, but we all know how plans sometimes go, and I’d rather have been too careful than end up standing there with everything lost.”

She added quietly but seriously, and Emily nodded. It was a small, almost imperceptible movement, and both Amelia and Pecada knew that while the young tigress would accept the decision ‒ she knew better than to contradict her father on something like this ‒ she wouldn’t be happy about it. When she finally looked up at her mother, her lips trembled.

“If it’s that dangerous, wouldn’t it be better to leave Amelia here? After all, she is the rightful heir to the throne and far better suited for this task than I am. What if something happens to her?”

It wasn’t a protest; it was a sincere question that Emily voiced quietly and hesitantly, whereupon Amelia leaned toward her and put her arm around her shoulders. Pecada nodded calmly.

“Yes, basically that would be the better alternative, but your father has decided, and he wants Amelia to accompany us because there’s something to be learned. He’s certain that Amelia will benefit from the experience in the field.”

Her mother replied, raising her index finger.

“But I’ll make sure you get to come along on the next outing while Amelia stays here. Even-handed justice. Agreed?”

She finally asked with a gentle, encouraging smile, while Amelia pulled her sister into a hug. Emily nodded, but she definitely didn’t agree ‒ not in the slightest ‒ but she wouldn’t argue; instead, she returned the hug and held her sister close.

“Please, please, take care of yourself.”

She whispered softly into Amelia’s ear and held her close until her sister finally broke free. On the other side of the room, Pecada was proud of her girls. Their bond, even under these difficult circumstances, was strong, and they openly stood up for one another ‒ something that was by no means a given. Normally, there was fierce rivalry between siblings, which often ended in blood and tears, even among the Tigers. She smiled.

“But we still have some time; your father is still… busy.”

Pecada remarked, and the way she said it, coupled with the mischievous smile that graced her lips, made her daughters giggle. The two knew full well how their father was enjoying himself with his concubines; it was no secret. In a way, all three of them were even glad about it, because it would ensure that at least some of his pent-up emotions and stress would be processed and released. He would likely be much more agreeable for the next few days.

It was Amelia who found her voice first and asked:

“Who’s the lucky one this time?”

To which her mother shrugged.

“It’s entirely possible that they’ll all be lucky today… he wasn’t exactly picky earlier.”

Pecada replied casually, watching with amusement as her daughters’ jaws dropped and Amelia counted on her fingers which of her father’s women were currently in the temple.

“A… all of them?”

She asked, visibly shocked, holding out her counted fingers to her mother, who nodded in agreement.

“Oh… oh dear…”

Emily added.

“Respect for our old man.”

Concluded Amelia, nodding respectfully while her mother laughed out loud.

“Oh, my sweet child, don’t underestimate your father. His stamina and staying power are still quite remarkable.”

Pecada replied smugly, watching with mischievous delight as both girls’ ears turned deep red. She shook her head slowly as she rose from Emily’s bed and stretched with relish before turning toward the door.

“Well, I’ll be expecting you at the main gate at dawn, Amelia. You should prepare for a journey of about two days and bring your armor and weapons.”

She remarked and left the room. As she closed the door behind her, the two young tigresses were left alone again, and an uncomfortable silence settled over them. Both sat silently on the older girl’s bed for a while longer, while Emily still held her sister’s hands. It wasn’t exactly fear that the two of them felt, but the fact that things now seemed to be getting serious and that, for the first time ever, they would be separated for longer than just a few hours still weighed heavily on them.

Finally, it was Emily who leaned forward and pressed her forehead against her sister’s, in that ancient, universal gesture of deep affection. She took a deep breath and looked into her older sister’s eyes.

“Please take good care of yourself. I don’t know what I’d do without you…”

She whispered so softly that the words barely reached Amelia’s ears. Amelia returned the gesture and pressed her forehead lightly against the other tigress’s before nodding almost imperceptibly.

“I will, and I’ll take care of Mom and Dad, I promise.”

She replied just as softly and gently placed her hands on her sister’s cheeks. They remained like that for a moment, savoring the intense contact, before Amelia gently lifted her head from Emily’s forehead and planted a small kiss on it.

“Will you help me pack?”

She finally asked, and Emily nodded.

It was still dark when they all gathered at the temple’s main gate. In the glow of the torches carried by the bodyguards, the Great Khan, Pecada, Amelia, and Emily stood together with the High Priestess, exchanging final words before the small delegation set off for the guard outpost.

The Great Khan wore his battle armor and was armed with his spear and mace. He looked as if he were about to go to war at any moment. Of course, that wasn’t the case, but it was part of the rituals that had to be observed whenever the Khan left the temple, especially when the situation was as uncertain as it was now. Pecada and Amelia each wore light armor and carried their personal weapons, while the four members of the bodyguard wore their armor under green hooded cloaks and were armed with spears.

The High Priestess was still busy distributing protective runes for the journey, while Emily shifted from one foot to the other as if on hot coals. Only when the High Priestess withdrew with a respectful bow, which was returned by everyone, could Emily no longer stay in her place; she practically leaped forward and pulled her sister into one last embrace before stepping back again.

“Take… take good care of yourselves, okay?”

Emily said anxiously, and her father nodded calmly but with a smile. He would make sure they all returned home safe and sound. After all, nothing would happen; they were still deep within their own territory and traveling along well-trodden paths. It wasn’t just unlikely ‒ it was downright impossible ‒ that their enemies had already advanced this far, at least as long as they were talking about enemies from outside.

“We’ll probably be back here by tomorrow evening. Until then, I place the temple and all its inhabitants in your care.”

Replied the Great Khan, and his calm, serious voice restored at least a little of Emily’s sense of security.

Then they turned to leave. One of the bodyguards led the way, while her family followed him and the other three guards brought up the rear. Emily stood at the main gate until the glow of the torches was lost in the dense jungle.

For the very first time in her life, she felt truly alone.

After the others had left to carry out her father's plans, Emily was left alone; the High Priestess had retreated to her chambers quite quickly, under the pretext of still having a great deal to do, and so Emily was truly alone. She took a deep breath and retreated to the temple as well. The others would only be gone for about two days and were expected back at the temple by evening the very next day, but to the young tigress, it felt like an eternity.

Lonely, she crept through the corridors of the nearly empty temple, not knowing what to do with herself. It was the first time she and her sister had been separated for more than just a few hours, and already a longing was spreading through her that took her breath away. It was a feeling she had never experienced before. Normally, the temple was at least full of tigers, and there was always something to do ‒ even if it was just sneaking small treats from the pantry ‒ but now that most of her fellow tigers had gone out to defend their territory and way of life, the corridors were deserted and silent.

The only tigers still in the temple were most of the priestesses and priests, the tigers tasked with supplying their troops in the field, and a small contingent of her father’s personal guard ‒ and none of them would make for good company right now to take her mind off things.

She entered the great hall, at the far end of which stood the three thrones on which they normally sat when holding audiences for the people or attending to other official duties. She usually enjoyed being here with her father, her mother, and Amelia; it was one of the few activities they all undertook together, but now an almost oppressive silence hung over the hall. The fire pits had been extinguished; there was little point in keeping the fires burning when no one was there, and the morning sun’s light was not yet strong enough to illuminate the room, so it lay in semi-darkness. It wasn’t that the absence of light bothered her much, but the way the thrones lay in the shadows sent a chill down her spine.

Emily climbed onto the low platform where the thrones stood, and her mother’s words came back to her: “If anything happens to us, you’ll still be here to take the reins…”

She stood directly in front of the chair carved from a single block of granite that her father used as his throne. She had sat on it countless times before, just for fun, when she and Amelia were still little and playing, or on her father’s lap when he had once again taken far too long with official business and her mother had sent her to remind him of his duties as a father. They were fond memories, but now, standing before this dark, stone seat of power, the feeling was different. Never before had her father’s throne seemed so large, so cold, so oppressive to her.

Her hand trembled as she reached for the armrest and turned around cautiously. Her heart raced as she shifted her hips backward, and it took real effort to finally lower her bottom onto the cold seat of the throne. As a small child, it had been an exhilarating feeling to sit on the seat of the most powerful animal in the entire jungle and pretend she was the queen of the whole land; today, it felt strangely wrong. It wasn’t the coldness of the stone or its unyielding hardness; it was the implication that arose from her sitting on this throne. If she were to be sitting on this throne when the sun rose the day after tomorrow, then both her father and her older sister would no longer be alive. The thought of it, however unlikely that scenario might be, took her breath away and turned her stomach.

She closed her eyes and tried to calm herself, her hands clenching the armrests.

“No… no, that won’t happen! I won’t let that happen!”

she muttered, but she didn’t even sound convinced to her own ears. Finally, she opened her eyes and rose again from her father’s throne. Trembling, she took a few steps away from the three chairs before turning back to take one last look at them. The short time she had spent in the great hall had already been enough for the sun to climb quite a bit above the horizon, and more of its warming rays were seeping down to her through the skylights. It still wasn’t bright in the great hall, but the atmosphere was already significantly friendlier than it had been just a few moments ago. It wasn’t enough yet to dispel the queasy, oppressive feeling in her stomach, but it helped.

Emily took a deep breath and looked around. She was old enough to know that it was a bad idea to give in to such thoughts and let them drag her into the abyss, but at the same time, she also knew that sometimes it was simply impossible to just ignore such feelings. She would have to distract herself, do something to pass the time and take her mind off things, but no matter what came to mind, every idea involved her sister to some extent.

Training needed a partner to be fun. Of course, she could ask one of the other Tigers, but that wasn’t the same.

Playing was really only possible if you had someone to play with. Here, too, there was the option of asking one of the others still remaining in the temple if they felt like it, but most of her games were known only to her and her sister, and the other games the Tigers played were boring.

She could devote herself to her studies, but the only fun in that was always finding ways with Amelia to do everything possible except study, without the priestesses noticing.

And then there were the activities she would certainly share with no one else but Amelia… or maybe someday with another… male tiger… someday…

“…and even then, it won’t be the same…”

she whispered as she retreated from the great hall and once again crept along the corridors through the temple. Lost in thought, the young tigress wandered through the familiar corridors and rooms of the ancient temple as she passed the entrance to the dungeons.

She had already left the dark staircase leading to the basement behind her when an idea occurred to her that might provide some distraction. Now that both her father and her mother were out of the house and Amelia wasn’t there either, no one would question her if she sneaked down to the dungeon and spoke with the jaguar. Her father would never approve, and Pecada would insist that she not speak to the jaguar alone. She wasn’t sure about Amelia, but her sister wouldn’t let her speak to the prisoner alone either.

Cautiously, the young tigress turned and looked toward the passageway that would lead her to Garras’s cell. She wasn’t quite sure what was drawing her there, but the longer she thought about it, the more she wanted to meet the jaguar… alone.

It was curiosity, clearly, but not just that.

She wanted to learn more about him, more about his life, more about the country he came from, why he had come here of all places.

Slowly, Emily moved toward the stairs and peered into the semi-darkness.

Yes, she was curious; she wanted to learn more about him, but if she was completely honest, she wanted to see him ‒ the talking, the conversation, was just a means to an end, and the end was to see him, to look at him… she felt a warmth wash over her and her ears turned red.

“No… no, it’s not like that…”

She scolded herself, but deep down she knew it was a lie.

Before Emily could stop herself, her body had made the decision for her and taken the first step of the narrow staircase. Quietly and stealthily, she crept down the stairs, always hugging the wall and always with one ear pricked back, so that no one could sneak up on her. Once she reached the bottom, she could feel her heart pounding in her chest, and the urge to lick her lips was almost overwhelming. The corridor leading to Garra’s cell was lit only by a small oil lamp, meant to make the guard’s life a little easier, but it still wasn’t very bright down here. The young tigress pressed herself against the wall, just as she had done a thousand times before when she had sneaked through the temple, whenever she or Amelia had hatched some scheme or another. With her ears pinned back and her breath held, she peered around the corner and saw the big, powerful tiger lounging on the stool in front of the cell. There wasn’t much for the guard to do; Garra was behaving himself and was more or less content to wait in his cell, and they couldn’t train all day long.

Emily bit her lip and gathered her courage. If what she had in mind was to work, she would have to act confident and couldn’t afford to show any weakness. She straightened her posture and rounded the corner, coming to a stop almost directly in front of the dozing tiger, who looked at her in surprise but maintained his composure ‒ after all, she was the Khan’s daughter.

“Emily, what are you doing down here?”

The tiger asked curiously, glancing past her down the corridor, likely hoping to see the High Priestess or the Khan, but the young tigress was alone and approached him with a smile. Her hips swayed gently with each step, and she let her tail swing invitingly back and forth behind her.

“Greetings. I’m here to speak with the prisoner. There are a few questions I’d like to clarify.”

She replied, hinting at a wink as she elegantly raised her hand and pointed to the cell door. The lips of the tiger opposite her twitched slightly as he tried not to smile; the leader’s daughter was pretty, and she knew how to use her charms well, but he would not let that distract him from his duty. He stepped in front of the door and half-blocked her path. She was still just a tigress; she had no authority over him yet. But he also knew that one didn’t refuse a request from the Great Khan’s daughters without good reason ‒ not if one didn’t want to be stuck cleaning latrines for the next few months. He tilted his head slightly and looked at her questioningly.

“Does the Great Khan know about this?”

He asked quietly, clearly unsure whether he had already overstepped his authority. Emily stopped in front of him and slowly shook her head, maintaining eye contact.

“No, my father doesn’t know about this; he’s on an expedition to the outpost and won’t be back here for a few days. However, I don’t want to wait that long to satisfy my curiosity. Rest assured, I’m aware of the danger, but I’m certain he’ll behave himself; he knows what’s at stake for him.”

Emily replied calmly, but the guard remained reserved and gave her a long, stern look. She felt uncomfortable, but held her ground against the other tiger’s stare, who finally shrugged and reached for the door bolt.

“All right, but don’t do anything stupid in there; I don’t want to end up in trouble with the Great Khan.”

He said, pulling back the bolt before turning to the cell’s occupant.

“Hey Garra, you’ve got a special visitor, so behave yourself.”

The tiger called through the door before slowly opening it and clearing the way for the Khan’s daughter. She thanked him with a slight nod and looked into the small cell, where the jaguar in question was standing against the back wall, watching her calmly. When he recognized who was standing in front of his cell, a smile spread across his lips as Emily entered the small chamber slowly but with confident steps.

While the guard closed the door behind her, the young tigress faced the prisoner, who was not only nearly a head taller than her, but also considerably stronger and had far more experience in close combat than she did. Now that his wounds had fully healed and he’d had enough time to get back into shape, Garra looked impressive again. He was a warrior, a hunter, a killer not to be underestimated ‒ tall, strong, fast, and intelligent to boot.

She was alone with him in a small room offering no chance of escape, and in a fight she would surely be outmatched. She was at his mercy. The guard would never get to the cell fast enough if Garra decided to do something stupid. A shiver ran down Emily’s spine; it was an incredibly good feeling.

But the jaguar made no move; he simply stood there and waited for her next step. As she took that step toward him, she silently gestured toward his bunk. He complied with her request and sat down on his bed. He could sense her arousal, her fear and uncertainty, which she hid behind a thin, fragile facade of self-assurance, and they had a distinct effect on him, but Garra was able to restrain himself. It would only cause trouble if he did something rash now. Meanwhile, Emily took one of the stools and sat down on the low seat directly across from him.

For a moment, a tense silence hung between them as Emily gathered her courage and chose her words carefully.

“I’ve come because I’d like to learn more about you and your life.”

She finally said, trying as best she could to keep her excitement out of her voice, though she succeeded only moderately. Across from her, Garra leaned his elbows on his knees with a smile, hoping to better conceal his own excitement, while never taking his eyes off Emily.

“Well, what would you like to know, young Emily?”

He replied in a voice as soft as velvet, its pleasant tone sounding both soothing and mysterious. His dark green eyes resembled emeralds that seemed capable of looking deep into her soul, and paired with his winning smile, they sent a shiver down Emily’s spine. She felt hot and cold at the same time, and the urge to move threatened to overwhelm her. Why did this jaguar have such an intense effect on her? She clasped her hands to keep them still and licked her lips as she, too, leaned forward to look deep into Garra’s eyes.

“Tell me about life out there; I’m trapped in here. I only know the temple and the jungle that immediately surrounds our official residence. I want to learn more; I want to know what it’s like to have to fight for your food, when every day is a struggle for bare survival.”

She explained softly, her voice trembling slightly with excitement as Emily imagined the most romantic scenarios in her head, but Garra just smiled and looked at her silently for a moment, as if to test whether she was even ready for the truths he was about to share with her. She held his gaze, and so he finally nodded and took a deep breath before sitting up a little straighter.

“All right, I won’t lie to you ‒ it’s a hard life. A life we jaguars are accustomed to from birth. Unlike you, most jaguars no longer have a permanent home; the distances we have to travel in search of food are simply too great. If we stake out a hunting ground, we might be able to hunt there successfully for a week before we’re driven out.”

He began, and when he saw her skeptical look, he nodded gently.

“Please don’t misunderstand me; it’s not the fear of retaliation that makes us give up our hunting grounds ‒ it’s the sheer overwhelming number of herbivores that forces us to clear the field. The herbivores outside your territory aren’t stupid; they know they outnumber us. If we kill one of them, they come back the next day with guards, or, if the terrain allows, they simply avoid the area. It’s a never-ending game of cat and mouse. Some of the larger herbivore tribes, like the water buffalo, the okapis, and the tapirs, have formed militias that patrol the areas they inhabit. They’re loud, and as a rule you can usually avoid them quite easily, but if they catch one of us, well, let me put it this way: they repay our aggression in kind.”

He continued, and Emily looked at him in sheer horror. He smiled briefly.

“Well, I don’t blame them; they’re just defending their lives, their kind, and their territories. It’s the law of the jungle ‒ survival of the fittest. Sometimes, that just happens to be the herbivores.”

Throughout his entire story, he remained calm, almost matter-of-fact, as if he were simply listing facts and figures ‒ self-evident facts that were well known to everyone who lived out there and that governed their lives. Meanwhile, Emily hung on his every word, absorbing every one of them, but at the same time she was horrified by how wild and, in her eyes, uncivilized the world out there really was.

“Haven’t you tried to create something similar to what we have? A pact that allows both sides to live well?”

The young tigress finally asked, once she had found her voice again, and Garra shrugged.

“What can I say, I wasn’t there 200 years ago, but I’d like to believe the idea came up at some point. However, right after the Great War ended in our defeat and our ancestors were driven out of this part of the jungle, there were only a few of us left, and the clans were at odds with one another. We didn’t even learn until much later what the Great Khan had established in that territory back then, but by that point it was already too late for us to attempt anything comparable. Not to mention that the herbivores in those areas where the war hadn’t raged ‒ or at least not to that extent ‒ were still combative and clearly outnumbered us. Our numbers never really recovered, and the herbivores have always maintained the upper hand. I don’t think they would agree to such a deal now that they know they’re in a better position.”

He explained, nodding slightly as if to confirm to himself what he had just said.

“Their pride and their hatred run too deep, and I must admit that I understand them. Besides, I don’t believe that, even if the herbivores were willing to make such an agreement, we jaguars could simply set aside our internal disputes to build such an empire.”

The jaguar added calmly, staring at his hands as he slowly clenched them into fists. Emily nodded; the tigers had been in a much more comfortable situation from the start, having struck the pact with the herbivores from a position of power while the latter were still mourning the death of their leader. Back then, they hadn’t been able to oppose the big cats with anything at all and had been glad that the Khan and his clan had made them this offer, allowing them to keep the tigers at bay with relative ease. Over the generations, the pact had grown stronger and stronger, and now neither the tigers nor the herbivores could imagine returning to the old ways.

Emily leaned closer to Garra and looked intently into his eyes.

“What exactly happened that caused you and your companions to flee into our territory?”

She asked, noticing the look in Garra’s eyes as he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. She wasn’t quite sure if it was anger or perhaps sadness that she saw in his eyes.

“So you want to know why we fled to this part of the jungle against our better judgment. Well, as you know, I wasn’t alone when the border patrol caught up with us. I was accompanied by another male jaguar named Segador, a warrior from another clan, and his mate, Pelaje Sedoso. Even before we met and decided to join forces, they had already fled from the Nea-Phi-Lim. They had narrowly escaped an ambush, and since Pelaje was unable to fight in her condition, they had evaded the herbivore patrols wherever possible. When we met… though, ‘met’ isn’t quite the right word ‒ they found me… that’s more accurate… when they found me, I had just killed an okapi warrior who had been giving me a hard time.”

Garra recounted, seeing the skeptical look in Emily’s eyes again. He could certainly understand her doubt, for her herbivores were practically tame, unlike the ones he’d had to contend with.

“Oh, I see the look in your eyes and your disbelief, but let me tell you this: you must never underestimate your opponent, even if under normal circumstances they’re hopelessly outmatched by you. I was already battered at that point, and the okapi had taken me by surprise. Anyway, I’d killed it and was looking forward to a proper meal when Segador and Pelaje burst through the thicket, drawn by the sounds of the fight and the smell of blood. Normally, the two of them would have tried to chase me away and snatch my prey, but since neither of them had eaten anything in several days and Pelaje was heavily pregnant at the time, there was no fight. We all knew that the okapi provided more than enough meat for each of us, and even though our clans didn’t get along particularly well, we knew we had more to lose than we could gain from a fight over prey. And so we shared my catch.”

Garra explained quietly, running his paws over his arms. The scars from his injuries had healed well, and his fur hid most of the smaller scars quite effectively, but he knew where they were and could feel every single one of them.

“We knew that if Segador and Pelaje didn’t want to lose their unborn offspring, we had to find more food. To accomplish this without running the risk of either being killed from a distance by one of those Nea-Phi-Lim or running into one of the herbivore patrols on every hunt was an impossibility. Our only chance was to flee into your territory. We knew it was a terribly stupid idea, but this territory is so vast that we judged our chances of remaining undetected here to be greater ‒ at least for a while. I mean, there were only three of us jaguars, and if we only snatched a herbivore when it was really necessary, we wouldn’t stand out that much. We were naive enough to believe that if we were just careful enough, always covered our tracks, and stayed on guard, it would work out. Having only one enemy to watch out for was still the better alternative to where we came from.”

Garra explained calmly, looking down at the ground. In hindsight, they had been incredibly naive to believe their plan could have worked, even in the medium term.

“On the way to the border, we were attacked again. I held off the water buffalo while Segador and Pelaje fled. It wasn’t that they didn’t want to fight too; I ordered them to flee ‒ it was more important that they survive. We barely escaped with our lives that day. Most of my wounds are from that fight. The buffalo are truly powerful opponents, especially when they outnumber you. The fact that we were picked up immediately after crossing the border was simply bad luck.”

He continued, looking back over at Emily, who was staring at him in complete shock. All the color had drained from her face, and she looked as if she were about to burst into tears. She already knew that Garra was the only one to have survived the confrontation with the Tiger border guards, but what she hadn’t known was that his companion had been heavily pregnant. She searched for words, but nothing she could say now would truly express her feelings. The jaguar nodded slightly before continuing.

“Segador and Pelaje had tried to fight, while I was no longer able to do so after the confrontation with the buffalo. We all knew what awaited us if the Khan’s tigers caught us. Everyone in the territories outside your realm knows what the impaled heads at the border signify. The two of them faced it bravely, but against five heavily armed and armored tigers, we didn’t stand a chance. It was over quickly, and the Tigers were merciful. I didn’t even try to fight back and accepted my fate. I expected to die back then. I have to admit I was very surprised when the group leader said they were taking me in for questioning. And well, the rest… the rest of the story should sound familiar to you.”

he added, watching as the young tigress across from him fought back tears. He nodded silently. He was aware that this part of his story wasn’t exactly for the faint of heart, but it had happened, and nothing in this world would ever undo it. He wasn’t even angry at the tigers; after all, they had only been defending their land and their lives. If the tables had been turned, the jaguars would have acted exactly the same way. Perhaps this encounter would have turned out differently in another time and under different circumstances. Perhaps the tigers wouldn’t have killed them outright if Segador and Pelaje had also surrendered and begged for mercy. Perhaps they would have been allowed to tell their story, and perhaps, just perhaps, they would still be alive, just like him. A whole lot of “maybes” and very little certainty. Garra was fairly certain, however, that one reason he had survived had to do with the fact that the tigers had only realized after Pelaje’s death that they had killed not only the jaguaress but, with her, the next generation as well. Killing pregnant females was usually something even the most bloodthirsty predators shied away from.

Meanwhile, Emily was still searching for the words to express her condolences and her shame. She had lived a sheltered life in her ivory tower, protected from most dangers, and the agreement with the herbivores ensured that they all had full stomachs at all times. Never before had carnivores lived so comfortably. Everyone here was aware of that; even Garra had acknowledged it ‒ she just hadn’t known how hard life outside their territory really was. Her lips trembled as she looked over at the jaguar. He was still significantly larger and certainly stronger than she was, but at that moment he looked so vulnerable, and his entire demeanor radiated humility.

“I… I’m sorry…”

She finally whispered, her voice a barely audible murmur. The jaguar looked at her with a weary but benevolent smile.

“What are you apologizing for?”

He asked softly, opening his hands and holding them out to her invitingly, while Emily’s lips continued to tremble and she kept trying not to give in to her tears.

“You’ve lost so much, given up so much. Your life is so hard, so unfair, and then I come along… a spoiled brat who’s upset because she isn’t allowed to go on a trip with Daddy.”

Anger and defiance colored her tone, but there was also a hint of self-pity and shame, as a blush of embarrassment rose to her cheeks and her gaze dropped toward the floor. Garra, on the other hand, shook his head slightly and took one of her hands in his large, calloused hands. It felt so soft and delicate in contrast to his rough, battle-hardened hands.

“You can’t… shouldn’t compare our lives. We literally come from different worlds, and I envy your progress, which is denied to us because we’re too stubborn to set aside our differences and choose a better future.”

His voice was so infinitely gentle and contained neither anger nor contempt as he tried to comfort her. When Emily then lifted her head again to look into his eyes, she felt herself losing herself in them. Her shame and anger slowly fell away from her the longer she looked into his eyes. There was something about him that she found infinitely attractive. She couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was. Maybe it was the fact that he was so exotic, so mysterious and foreign, or maybe it was because, in his own wild way, he was really damn good-looking, but perhaps it also had to do with the fact that he was the forbidden fruit, the original sin.

Ultimately, it didn’t matter what made him so attractive; Emily was about to fall head over heels and irrevocably in love with him.

She wasn’t alone in this feeling, however; Garra himself felt drawn to the young tigress. She was different from the other tigers he had met so far, for even though the priestesses and healers had cared for him and provided him with food, to them he was merely a prisoner, an intruder, a nuisance that ultimately had to be removed. They looked down on him as if he were a lowly creature who did not truly deserve their mercy. Even the Great Khan, who was aware of the utility and value of an ally, saw himself as superior to him.

And then there was Emily, the younger daughter, who didn’t look down on him as if he were a slave, who was genuinely interested in him ‒ not because he was a prisoner who might have important information, or could ultimately be used as leverage; no, she was interested in him, in Garra. He had already noticed that during their first encounter, when she had scolded him, demanding he show respect, while the others had shown only limited interest in his behavior.

The fact that she was the Great Khan’s daughter held no particular significance for him. Ranks and status had been nothing more than decorations among the Jaguars for generations, for to those who had no kingdom to call their own, ranks meant little.

All that mattered to him was that she was truly pretty and seemed to have an open mind. He caught himself smiling dreamily at her, while she seemed to be devouring him with her gaze. He stole a glance toward the cell door, which was still locked, trapping them inside his small cell. In here, they were shielded from prying eyes, and if they kept quiet, the guard outside the door might not catch everything they said and did. His smile widened as his eyes found their way back to Emily’s.

“Has anyone ever told you how beautiful you are?”

He asked in a whisper, fully aware that this was pretty much the oldest line in the book, but it still seemed to have the desired effect, for he could see a shy smile spreading across the young tigress’s face. She pricked up her ears and leaned closer to him.

“N… no one who really meant it.”

Emily replied just as softly, whereupon Garra gently pulled her closer to him. Emily obeyed, stood up from her stool, and took the two small steps toward the jaguar, who also rose from his bed and slowly straightened to his full height. He towered over her, and his broad, muscular build made her more athletic figure seem downright petite. He let go of her hand and gently lifted his huge paw to her cheek, which he caressed tenderly while lifting her chin so he could look into her eyes.

They stood motionless for what seemed like an eternity, lost in each other’s eyes, before he found his voice again.

“You’re truly incredibly beautiful.”

He whispered, running his thumb over her cheek. The only response Emily was capable of at that moment was a hoarse gasp, but before she could react further, his lips found hers. The kiss came as such a surprise to her that she couldn’t resist it, even if she’d wanted to; instead, she welcomed and returned it.

It was an innocent first kiss, but for Emily, there was so much more to this small gesture that she was in danger of losing her footing, but Garra held her tight and kept her from losing her balance. When their lips finally parted, the young tigress was completely speechless. She was breathing heavily, her eyes fixed intently on his, while the strong jaguar merely smiled gently. Only when he was truly certain she wouldn’t simply collapse did he release her from his embrace. Emily’s hands were trembling, and as she hesitantly placed them on his chest, seeking support, her emotions and thoughts went on a rollercoaster ride inside her.

It took a moment before she had even begun to bring the turmoil inside her under control.

Her father would be furious if he found out about this.

He must not find out, ever.

But that would also mean she couldn’t see him again, at least not alone. Perhaps she could make a pact with Amelia so she’d have her back…

“You should go now, young Emily, before the guard gets any silly ideas…”

Garra finally whispered, snapping Emily out of her thoughts. She looked at him with wide eyes, but as much as it pained her, he was right. She nodded and pulled away from him before glancing toward the door. Several times she started to say something, but stopped herself each time. Finally, she walked wordlessly to the door and knocked. When the guard opened the door for her, she looked back at him over her shoulder, and there was a promise in her gaze.

…

While Emily was succumbing to her Stockholm syndrome, the Great Khan and his entourage had covered most of the distance to the outpost. As expected, everything had remained quiet, and they hadn’t encountered any other animals along the way. For the Great Khan, as well as for Pecada and Amelia, this was the first time they had actually left the temple and were not merely staying within the relative safety of the ancient structure’s immediate surroundings. Out here, the jungle was denser, the vegetation more impassable, and one could not see very far before the thickly growing trees and bushes blocked the view. The guards accompanying them had extinguished their torches some time ago, and the tiger leading them to the command post ran a good distance ahead of them, hoping to spot lurking dangers sooner.

They had been on the move nearly all day before they finally reached the camp’s first forward guard post. Two Tigers were guarding the well-trodden path along which the Great Khan and his entourage were also passing. They stood beneath a makeshift roof that kept out most of the daily rain but offered little else in the way of shelter, and when they spotted their leader’s caravan, they immediately knelt respectfully.

The guard remained with them until the Khan had joined them and allowed the tigers to rise again. After the customary greetings, the Khan inquired about the situation and was informed that all was still calm and that there had been no notable incidents. At the gentle urging of his bodyguards, the Great Khan kept the stop at the guard post brief, and his caravan continued along the path leading to the captain’s outpost.

When they finally reached the camp, they found a tent city that had been set up in a clearing in the jungle, and whose outer palisades, despite the haste with which they had been erected, would withstand most attacks. The western gate, which they were approaching, was open and guarded by two Tigers in full armor. When they saw their leader and his companions, they bowed deeply but did not kneel; the full armor made such movements difficult. The Great Khan acknowledged their gesture of respect and placed a hand on each guard’s shoulder.

“Greetings, warriors, where may I find the captain?”

The Khan asked, though he could already guess where he would find the perpetually irascible Tiger. One of the guards gestured roughly toward the center of the camp.

“Just follow the loud curses, Sire; the commander’s tent is impossible to miss.”

The Tiger replied with an amused smile, while the Khan rolled his eyes knowingly.

“Then we’ll surely find him, thank you.”

Replied the leader of the Tigers and entered the camp. Inside the palisades, he found a certain chaos of tents. Troop tents, infirmary tents, kitchen tents, as well as a tent in which the quartermaster was desperately trying to keep his warriors’ equipment in order. They had all been set up in a certain order, though the Great Khan couldn’t quite make sense of it. The only thing that was obvious was that they had been arranged around a central square, from which a constant, unceasing stream of profanities and curses seemed to emanate. That was where they would find the captain of the guard; of that, the Khan was absolutely certain.

When they finally entered the square, one of the tents stood out in particular; aside from the fact that the constant roaring came from this tent, it was smaller than the others, and a guard stood in front of the half-open entrance. Before the Khan could react, the guard sank to his knees and respectfully bowed his head. As the Khan approached the tent, the bodyguards remained in the center of the square with Amelia and Pecada, waiting for further orders.

“Rise, warrior.”

The Khan commanded with a smile on his lips, his voice barely drowning out the noise from the tent, but his subordinate seemed to have understood him and rose again.

“Greetings, honorable Khan.”

Replied the Tiger, reaching for the tent flap to open it. The Great Khan nodded approvingly and turned to Amelia and Pecada.

“You should come along; there are things to learn. Pecada, you wanted to check on Ebano and Golosa ‒ take one of the guards with you.”

He ordered in a gentle voice before turning back toward the captain’s tent, while Amelia briefly hugged her mother and then joined her father, who stood up to his full height and entered the captain’s tent with her. Pecada waited a moment until the guard had let the tarp fall back into place before grabbing one of the bodyguards to search the camp for her lover’s two concubines, who had volunteered for the military mission.

The air in the tent was stifling and the light meager. The map table, behind which the captain of the guard stood, was illuminated by two oil lamps whose flickering flames threatened to go out at any moment. When the entrance flap was briefly opened and a glaring beam of afternoon sun illuminated the interior of the tent, the captain’s nearly uninterrupted tirade ceased, and he stopped fiddling with the figures he had scattered all over the map and was constantly rearranging. He and his adjutant, who was armed with a stack of documents, straightened up and looked toward the entrance, where the Great Khan, followed by Amelia, was just ducking through the low doorway. The adjutant immediately dropped to his knees, while the stocky Tiger behind the map table stood at attention and nodded respectfully to his leader.

“Great Khan, Leader, what brings you to my humble quarters?”

He asked in a voice hoarse from all the shouting, while the Great Khan signaled to the aide that he might rise again before approaching the map table.

“I have come to inquire about the situation at the front and to find out if we have already gained any new insights; furthermore, I have new information that I would like to share with you personally.”

Replied the Great Khan as he stepped up to the map table and looked down with interest at the large, pictorial representation of their eastern border region. The captain of the guard nodded grimly and leaned on the table, which creaked under the weight, while Amelia remained behind her father and looked around for the first time.

The captain’s tent was spartanly furnished; aside from the map table, which took up most of the open space and clearly dominated the tent, there was only a simple bunk, a washbasin, an armor rack displaying the captain’s war armor and weapons, and a low shelf overflowing with documents and maps. It was astonishing that one could create so much chaos with so little, but the longer she looked at the seemingly random piles of parchment and papyrus, the more sense they made. There were the maps and their accompanying legends, to which comments on inaccuracies and specifications had been added; next to them were lists of the warriors’ names, as well as plans for patrol rotations; and next to those lay a collection of reports on border crossings by the herbivores’ trade caravans and their cargoes. It looked like a hopeless mess, but there was a system behind it, and she would bet that if she asked him for any detail, he could reach blindly into one of those stacks and find the right document and the right information.

While Amelia was still familiarizing herself with her surroundings, the battle-hardened warrior began pointing out various figures and areas on the large map with his claw.

“Well, in the early morning hours we intercepted several groups of herbivores who were trying to leave our territory. They claim they want to make contact with their kind in other parts of the jungle, supposedly to gather information on the situation out there. That was here and here.”

The captain explained, pointing to two of the more heavily trafficked border crossings into their realm.

“Otherwise, the borders have remained quiet so far. We haven’t observed any unusual incidents, nor have we noticed any further signs of intruders from the outer territories to date, but that doesn’t necessarily mean anything; our borders are long, and we have only very limited resources with which to secure them. I can’t keep our troops on duty around the clock; they need breaks, they need sleep… we need reinforcements.”

He continued, and the Great Khan could only agree. It was true; they could spare only a few Tigers, if any. He turned to Amelia and asked her to hand him the map she had brought. As he turned back to the captain, he unrolled the parchment and carefully laid it on the sparse amount of free space still available on the map table. The captain’s interest was immediately piqued, and he leaned further over the table to get a better look.

“I took the liberty of taking one of your maps and speaking with Garras again.”

He began, and the captain nodded. He recognized the map and studied it closely even before the Great Khan could begin to explain the changes marked on it.

“I asked him to show me how far the Nea-Phi-Lim have already advanced, and he marked this area for me. Furthermore, he has also marked some of the larger herbivore settlements for us ‒ here, here, and here. I want us to send out our scouts and have them explore this area.”

Demanded the Khan, roughly circling the area on the map that had previously been marked by Garra. The captain nodded silently, and the adjutant eagerly took notes.

“They must be experienced scouts; I don’t want them making rookie mistakes and falling prey to these Nea-Phi-Lim or the herbivores out there. We’ve been strongly warned that these herbivores aren’t nearly as tame as ours. It’s also possible they might encounter other big cats. I’d like to avoid an open conflict; we’ll probably have to ally ourselves with these jaguars, at least in the short term.”

The Great Khan continued, while the captain was busy transferring the various markings onto the large map. When he was finished, he beckoned his assistant over but did not look up from his work.

“Who are our most capable scouts?”

He asked, continuing to study the map and moving some pieces back and forth to adjust his troops to the new situation. Meanwhile, his adjutant was leafing through his files.

“We have Pequena Sombra ‒ she’s not on duty at the moment ‒ and Esfuerzo Mudo, who’s currently with the fourth border patrol up in the northern quadrant.”

He finally listed with satisfaction, and his superior nodded sternly.

“Hmm, good. Send a runner. I want the patrols in the eastern and northern quadrants reinforced, and Esfuerzo Mudo is to report here ‒ he has a new special assignment. Also, bring me Pequena Sombra and two more scouting parties.”

The captain ordered, whereupon his adjutant hurried out of the tent to carry out his orders. Once the young tiger was gone, the captain looked over at the Great Khan, and a grim smile played around his lips.

“What should the scouts be on the lookout for when they’re out there?”

He finally asked.

“Our hands are tied at the moment. As long as we can’t prove to the herbivores that the stories Garra told us are true, we can’t send him off to fetch reinforcements.”

The Khan began, and the captain’s face betrayed just how much the whole situation already disgusted him. It was no secret that he didn’t think much of the herbivores; in his opinion, they were on a lower evolutionary level and destined to be ruled by the tigers. The fact that they were now dependent on the herbivores’ goodwill went against his grain.

“So I need proof of the existence of these Nea-Phi-Lim. Tell them to search for corpses. If we come across herbivores, they should question them about these hunters; of course, it would be best if they could capture a Nea-Phi-Lim or at least drag its carcass back here. With such evidence in hand, even the herbivores won’t be able to deny the threat anymore.”

The Great Khan continued, and his counterpart could only agree, though he crossed his arms over his broad chest.

“Hmm, it’s a shame we have to wait for their approval before we can act. By the time they’ve made up their minds, it might already be too late.”

Commented the scarred tiger, knowing full well that it was not within his power to decide, but he had to voice his displeasure. The Great Khan took a deep breath; deep down, he felt exactly the same way, but they could not jeopardize their agreement with the herbivores, not like this. Behind him, Amelia tensed up but held back, not wanting to risk a scolding from her father. In the end, however, the captain beat her father to the punch with his reply.

“But you’re right, of course; we won’t jeopardize our agreement with those cowards, not without good reason. As a precaution, we’ll send our scouts out fully equipped. I can only hope the herbivores don’t attack them outright before we can even state our reasons for the expedition. Otherwise, it could get very unpleasant if we had to attack them, especially since they’re surely traveling in larger groups by now.”

The concerns the captain expressed were entirely justified, and the Great Khan had no rebuttal.

“We should avoid a confrontation with them for now, if at all possible. Garra has already mentioned that the herbivores in this territory are quite aggressive. They will most likely strike first and ask questions afterward. We should keep our distance and, if we need to enlist their help, let our herbivores handle the negotiations.”

The leader of the tigers agreed, but before she could speak further, Amelia gently placed her hand on his arm. The Great Khan paused and turned to his daughter.

“Do you have something to say?”

He asked gently, his tone sounding genuinely interested, whereupon Amelia nodded cautiously.

“Shouldn’t we perhaps tell the herbivores about our plans so they, in turn, can send their messengers to inform their clans beyond the border?”

She asked uncertainly, and her father began to smile as he placed his large hand on hers.

“Your objection is valid and justified, and if we had more time, this would certainly be the more sensible course of action, but I’m afraid we simply lack the time. Even if we sent messengers to the individual tribes right now, it could take days, if not weeks, for the information to reach the respective clans in the outer territories. We’ve already lost too much time; we’ll just have to be careful.”

The Great Khan replied kindly, stroking his daughter’s hand, while the captain nodded from behind his table. Amelia wasn’t exactly happy with this statement, but before she could offer a counterargument, the tent flap behind her opened and several tigers, followed by the captain’s aide, entered. They hadn’t quite entered the tent yet when they saw their leader and dropped to their knees. Satisfied with the show of respect, he nodded and gestured for them to rise.

“Rise, my warriors, there is much to do.”

He commanded, before the captain’s assistant spoke up.

“The runners are on their way, and here are the requested scouting parties, sir.”

The captain nodded approvingly and beckoned his scouts to join him at the table.

“Very well, listen. There are new orders. We’re sending you out to scout the territories beyond the border. We need evidence of the threat the Jaguar reported. Corpses, abandoned equipment, tracks, witness statements ‒ everything. If it comes to that, a prisoner of these so-called Nea-Phi-Lim would of course be ideal; he doesn’t necessarily have to be alive.”

the captain explained in his typical commanding tone, pointing to the map.

“These hunters were last seen here, but it’s possible they’ve already pushed further in. So stay on your guard, and be wary of the locals ‒ both the Jaguars and the herbivores. We don’t want any conflicts ‒ not yet!”

He added, pointing to the relevant spots on the map, and his scouts eagerly transferred the corresponding markings to their own maps before saluting and acknowledging the orders. The captain returned the military salute and turned once more to Pequena Sombra.

“Sombra, you and your squad will secure the tracks; I know that’s your specialty. I want to know what kind of enemies we’re dealing with, and I want every track ‒ herbivores, carnivores, and those Nea-Phi-Lim. Understood?”

He confirmed once more, and Pequena looked him firmly in the eyes before nodding silently.

The scouts bowed once more to the Great Khan and Amelia, who responded with a respectful nod before leaving the tent.

“Now we just have to wait.”

The leader of the Tigers remarked, and his captain agreed.

“Yes, we can’t speed up this process ‒ at least not without exposing our troops to even greater danger.”

The captain replied, and the others could only agree with him. Now that the official reason for their visit had essentially been taken care of, Amelia squeezed past her father and stepped up to the map table. She still seemed a little shy, but since her counterpart had shown that he cared for his troops and appeared to have an empathetic core beneath that tough exterior, she felt compelled to ask him a question.

“Is there anything else you need? Do the troops have everything they need?”

Asked the heir to the throne, and the Tiger on the other side of the map table began to smirk, but the crooked, weathered smile on his face was warm and sincere, for he knew she didn’t know any better.

“Oh, my child, you’re asking the wrong question. A military operation never has enough personnel, never enough supplies, and never enough reinforcements and reserves. But please don’t misunderstand me ‒ I’m glad you’re asking this question, because it shows that you care about your people, but as a future commander-in-chief, you must never ask this question.”

The captain explained, and his voice was surprisingly calm and gentle ‒ not soft, but the harshness that usually characterized him was missing. Amelia, completely taken aback by this answer, blinked and looked up at her father, who was also smiling kindly and placed his large paw on her shoulder.

“The question wasn’t wrong per se, but you couldn’t have known that; however, as future commander-in-chief, you should always know how many tigers you have in the field and how they are being supplied. Our resources, particularly the number of our warriors, are limited, and so we cannot provide him with any additional troops; moreover, the troops are well-supplied and equipped, just as they always have been. These facts do not make your question wrong, but irrelevant, since we cannot change the provisions or troop strength, at least not now. Later, when we hopefully receive reinforcements from the jaguars and, if the ancestors so will it, also from the herbivores, then this question will become interesting again.”

Her father explained, and gently stroked her cheek.

Shortly after their conversation, the first scouting parties set out, while the captain was still waiting for Esfuerzo Mudo to return so he could brief him and the squad assigned to him as well. Once all the scouts were finally on their way into enemy territory, the long wait began. There was little they could do but wait for the scouts to return and hope that they had managed to obtain the necessary evidence and information. It would take days at best, but more likely weeks, before they could take the next steps.

The Great Khan and Pecada decided to set out for the temple the following day, not least so as not to leave Emily alone for too long. Amelia, on the other hand, asked to be allowed to stay at the camp for the time being, as she had realized there was still so much to learn here and she couldn’t let this opportunity slip by. Reluctantly, the Great Khan had agreed, but on the condition that two members of his personal guard would always remain at her side. Amelia had agreed to this without batting an eyelid.

Pecada, recognizing her chance to have the Great Khan all to herself for a night and another day, had meanwhile decided to show her lover once again, emphatically, why she was the First among the concubines. And so the leader of the Tigers had a very short night and a very long day behind him, the strain of which was clearly written all over his face when they arrived back at the temple’s main gate on the evening of the second day. Not that it bothered the mighty Tiger that his beloved was demanding so much of him; he was fully on board with her wanting to see her rank in his harem confirmed once again.

Nevertheless, the Great Khan was glad when, after a stormy greeting from his daughter and a decidedly more reserved one from his High Priestess, he was finally able to retreat to the baths.

In the days that followed, Emily could be seen descending the stairs to the dungeon with increasing frequency. When her father asked why she was making such an effort for the jaguar, she replied that she wanted to learn from Garra what life was like outside their territory, and that she considered it important to better understand the animals of the rest of the jungle. On the one hand, she wanted to be a better advisor to Amelia; on the other, she was convinced that it was better for the future to improve relations with the outer territories. Perhaps it was possible for the jaguars to strike a similar agreement with the herbivores as the tigers had; that would spare everyone a great deal of suffering and significantly simplify the defense of the jungle against external threats.

The Great Khan had little to object to these arguments, and since Pecada also thought it was a good idea, the Great Khan agreed to these frequent visits. What he didn’t know was that Pecada was well aware that her daughter wasn’t solely interested in learning, but she wasn’t going to tell her lover that just yet.

Several days would pass before the first scouting parties found their way back to the Tigers’ camp, and their reports were awaited with bated breath.

But what the scouts ultimately reported was anything but what the Great Khan and the captain of his guard had hoped for.

…

Over the past few days, Amelia had spent nearly every waking minute with the captain of the guard, effectively taking on the role of his deputy. Much to her surprise, the commander of her army had proven to be a patient, if at times very quick-tempered, teacher. He took great pleasure in imparting all his knowledge to her, always hoping that this knowledge would not only make future decisions easier for her, but also ensure that he wouldn’t always have to explain everything to her in minute detail when it came to military decisions. At the same time, Amelia had turned out to be an eager-to-learn, curious, and open-minded young tigress, which made it easier for the battle-scarred tiger to justify the time he spent teaching her all of this.

They were currently discussing the rotation of the border patrols with the adjutant, and Amelia was moving squad markers across the large map while the captain explained why he was deploying these particular units there. It was a tedious, time-consuming task because they actually had too few Tigers to fully rotate all the task forces, so each squad was examined individually, discussing how long it had been on duty and how likely an attack would be at that point along the border.

The Khan’s daughter was in the middle of swapping out two squads when the tent flap was ripped open behind her and one of the guards burst into the tent.

“I humbly report that Reconnaissance Squad Two has returned.”

The Tiger reported, but he sounded somewhat distraught and agitated. For the moment, this was nothing out of the ordinary for the captain, who nodded briefly and gestured toward the center of the tent.

“Very well, have them come in; I want to hear their report immediately.”

He ordered in his typical commanding tone, but the guard shook his head vigorously.

“That won’t be possible, sir; he’s already in the infirmary tent ‒ it doesn’t look good, sir.”

He replied, stepping back to the tent entrance to hold the flap open, just in time before the captain rushed past him with hurried steps, followed by Amelia and his adjutant, who was clutching his documents.

The distance from the commander’s tent to the infirmary tent was not far, but Amelia had trouble keeping up with the captain’s long, sweeping strides. It was astonishing that the captain could apparently walk faster than many a tiger was capable of running.

Later, Amelia had asked the adjutant how the scarred tiger managed it, but he had merely waved her off and muttered something about an officer not running ‒ it would give the warriors the wrong impression.

With a near-roar:

“Where are they?”

The captain tore open the tarp of the field hospital tent, but he didn’t need to look at all, for his scout party ‒ or rather, what was left of it ‒ lay right in front of him on the first stretcher inside the tent. The tiger looked badly mauled, and the healer assigned to the outpost was already working feverishly on the scout’s wounds. He was constantly rushing back and forth between his patient and a table on which all sorts of medical supplies were laid out, while a priestess kept bringing more bandages and suture material.

The Tiger’s wounds were by no means fatal on their own, but their sheer number made them dangerous. They were mostly cuts and lacerations, traces of one or more fights that had been fought with either blades or clubs ‒ that much the captain could see right away as he waited for the healer to finish his work. Standing beside him was Amelia, who looked down at the Tiger’s battered body, deeply shaken. She had never seen a Tiger in such a bad state. Even Garra hadn’t looked like this when the border guards had dragged him into the temple. Of course, she knew that real fights, when life and death were at stake, weren’t fought as cleanly as the training matches they held in the temple, but she never would have imagined such a butchery. The sight turned her stomach, but she managed to control herself, even though the cramps did not go unnoticed. The healer’s stern gaze, which spoke louder than a thousand words, made her take two steps back.

When the doctor had finally finished his work and confirmed to the captain that his patient was not in immediate danger of death, the captain thanked him and turned to his warrior.

“Now, my son, tell me what happened out there, and where are the others?”

The captain demanded to know, though he was fairly certain he already knew the answer to both questions. His injuries were clear, and the absence of the remaining scouts could only mean one thing.

“We… we… we were ambushed…”

The scout gasped in a hoarse, almost toneless voice. He licked his lips and swallowed before he could continue.

“After three days of searching, we finally found tracks… and followed them. We… we actually found a carcass whose injuries matched the jaguar’s description. It… she had been skinned, her teeth and tail taken as trophies… a large hole in the left chest… lungs completely shredded. We had just finished examining the site and were about to… take… the carcass with us when…”

The scout had to pause briefly to catch his breath; you could see how difficult it was for him to talk about it. It wasn’t just the physical injuries, but above all his pride as a warrior that made it hard for him to accept the defeat.

“… they ambushed us. They… they were herbivores, okapis, at least ten of them. They didn’t even give us a chance to explain ourselves, but attacked immediately. Before we could react, they had killed the others. I… was able to fend off the two warriors who attacked me… but when they… were done with the others… I didn’t stand a chance against eight of them. They overpowered me and wrestled me to the ground, but at least they gave me a chance to explain myself. But they didn’t really want to believe me that we weren’t on the warpath… but just wanted to find out what was going on there. I then took advantage of a moment of distraction to flee…”

It was nothing more than a hoarse, broken whisper as he continued, tears welling up in his eyes as he looked at the captain.

“I… my comrades… the evidence… I had to leave everything behind.”

He finally added, but the captain placed a heavy paw on his shoulder and nodded grimly.

“You did your job well. Now rest and recover. Let’s hope the other squads have better luck.”

It was a sincere comment, though the captain could barely hide his grief and anger behind a facade of compassion. It wasn’t that he felt no compassion for his warrior, or no grief for the fallen ‒ quite the contrary ‒ but the anger toward the herbivores, who, in his opinion, had attacked his scouts completely unprovoked and thus deprived him of urgently needed evidence. Furthermore, he was well aware that he could not blame his scouts for the outcome of this expedition; after all, they had been ordered to avoid confrontations whenever possible. In an ambush, the attackers simply had the advantage, and with a ten-to-three numerical superiority, it was not impossible even for okapis to overpower tigers.

When they saw the injured Tiger trying to relax and the healer glaring at them both angrily, the captain ground his teeth and then left the infirmary tent in silence. Amelia and his adjutant followed him and pulled the tarp closed again.

The walk back to the commander’s tent, which they had covered in just a few seconds earlier, dragged on this time for what felt like an eternity, during which none of the three Tigers dared to say a single word. The captain feared he might explode if he vented his anger now; the adjutant knew better than to offer his superior any comment, however well-intentioned; and Amelia was simply still too shocked to even find the words to express her feelings.

When they finally arrived in the captain’s stuffy little tent, the Tiger, scarred by countless battles, leaned against the map table and looked at Amelia for a long time. She was clearly on the verge of a breakdown and wasn’t even remotely capable of concealing her feelings as well as the commanding officer. He took a slow, deep breath before nodding.

“Yes, sometimes things can happen very quickly, and they can also end very tragically. Out there, the law of the jungle still reigns. A life is only worth as much as you can sell it for. In military operations, casualties are inevitable, and today shows us once again that even relatively weak herbivores like okapis can pose a serious threat if they outnumber their opponents and attack from ambush. That’s why we’re so committed to maintaining our pact with our herbivores here. Never forget that.”

The captain explained, his voice sounding surprisingly gentle and soft for him, but Amelia didn’t react at first; she was still busy processing everything. Not wanting to overwhelm Amelia completely, he turned to the adjutant first.

“Mark these two as fallen and inform the priestesses and the Great Khan. We should prepare ourselves for the fact that these will not be the last losses.”

He kept his voice low, and when the adjutant had finished his notes, he nodded silently and left the tent just as quietly. When he turned back to Amelia, he saw how her lips were trembling and how tense she stood before him. The captain nodded again and smiled gently before opening his arms to her.

“Now come here…”

He whispered softly, and it was as if a jolt went through Amelia before she stepped forward into his embrace, whereupon he wrapped his strong arms around the young tigress and held her tight.

“I know… the first time is always the worst.”

He murmured softly, rubbing her back as he felt her sobs.

“It’s okay, let it out…”

He added just as softly, feeling the heat radiating from her face against his chest and how she clung to him. He let her be; she was still so young, and they’d thrown her straight into the deep end of the pool. Only when she began to calm down slowly did he speak to her again.

“Shhh… it’ll get better. I know it hurts, but there’s just no way around it.”

His usually rough voice still sounded gentle, and he spoke to her like a father trying to comfort his child.

It took a while longer for Amelia to truly calm down, and later she formally apologized to the commander for her emotional outburst, but the old tiger actually affirmed her feelings. On the one hand, to him it only showed that she truly felt connected to her troop and that they weren’t just names and numbers on a parchment ‒ which was what really mattered; on the other hand, it showed that the young tigress was very empathetic and, when in doubt, would likely think twice about an order rather than simply ignoring possible consequences. Both were qualities that made for a good tribal leader. Besides, she was still allowed to show her emotions openly; she wasn’t “the Great Khan” yet, she was simply Amelia, she was simply a young tigress facing a situation that was clearly overwhelming her.

“These feelings are no shame, child; on the contrary, they are a strength. As long as every loss still hurts, it means you still have compassion for your people. Should the day ever come when you lose that compassion, it will be a dark day for us all. Hold on to your compassion, both for your people and for your allies, no matter how much they might get on your nerves at times.”

The captain explained, and Amelia nodded. She understood what he meant, but that didn’t make it any easier.

Over the next few days, the other scouting parties returned. Most of them had had a similar experience, though Esfuerzo Mudo’s patrol had managed to establish peaceful contact with one of the water buffalo tribes. During the ensuing discussions, the buffalo not only confirmed Garras’s reports but also added some new information. The Nea-Phi-Lim really did come from the eastern mountains and had initially hunted mainly the carnivores. At that point, the herbivores had even harbored the hope of having found in them a valuable ally in their never-ending struggle against the predators. However, when these intruders began indiscriminately killing herbivores as well, that hope quickly vanished. Esfuerzo and his companions were then led to one of the corpses, where the reports regarding the Nea-Phi-Lim’s weapons were confirmed. The victim was a mighty bull whose carcass had been desecrated after death. Not only had the hunters skinned him, but they had also stolen his horns and testicles, leaving the rest to rot.

The tigers had conveyed to the buffaloes their dismay not only at the cowardly manner of the hunt, but above all at the wastefulness; and even though the warriors of the water buffalo tribe were not happy about it, they had to acknowledge that the jaguars and tigers at least ate their prey, meaning the animals did not die entirely in vain. However, when asked ‒ and rightly so ‒ whether the water buffalo were willing to support the tigers in an offensive against these Nea-Phi-Lim, they were refused. For the first time in this case, a projectile had also been recovered, as the buffalo had been so massive that the weapon had not been able to completely pierce the mighty warrior’s body. The scouts had brought it back and handed it over to the captain, but no one at the outpost or in the temple had been able to make sense of it. It was heavy and hard, but clearly not made of stone, and if one exerted enough force, one was able to deform it, but no one knew exactly what it was or how it could be accelerated so much that it pierced a body and caused such devastating wounds.

So far, no scouts had come into contact with the Nea-Phi-Lim, but that was about to change. One of the scouting parties that had been sent out returned severely wounded and with a casualty. They reported that they had been ambushed and that the attack had been launched from a great distance. The description given by the survivors matched the previously known accounts with astonishing accuracy. One of the scouts had been struck by something that killed him almost instantly, and at the same time a loud thunderclap had been heard. When the other scouts turned around at the sound, they had spotted a cloud of smoke in the distance, but before they could launch a counterattack, they had been attacked again. Eventually, they were forced to retreat, leaving their comrade behind in enemy territory. They were certain that he had met the same fate as all the other victims of the Nea-Phi-Lim.

When the Great Khan was finally informed of this, he was beside himself with rage. In his fury over this audacity, he had ordered a punitive expedition into the area where his warriors had been attacked, with the aim of driving these Nea-Phi-Lim out of there. Knowing full well that this attack would not succeed, but with his hands tied, the captain had sent a small unit on the mission.

A few days later, it was the warriors of that very water buffalo tribe ‒ the same ones who had previously encountered Esfuerzo Mudo ‒ who brought the unit’s sole survivor back to the border of their territory. The rest of the dispatched force had been completely annihilated in a firefight with the enemy.

…

In the days following the failed punitive expedition, the Tigers’ losses were no secret. The herbivores, whose own spies and scouts kept a watchful eye on their allies’ camp, were well aware of the Tigers’ mounting losses, and the longer this slow bleeding of their former enemies continued, the clearer it became to the herbivores as well that the Tigers would not be able to overcome this threat on their own.

At the same time, they too, of course, received reports from the caravans and emissaries they had sent into the territories beyond the border. The reports and stories these messengers brought back from their kind painted a grim picture, the full extent of which could not yet be fully gauged.

The elders among the herbivores decided at this point that a council must be convened to discuss how to proceed. Such councils had been used in the past to find common ground among the herbivores, but this time was different. While earlier meetings had primarily focused on the distribution of grazing rights, the topic of this assembly was the impending destruction of their entire civilization by an enemy that not even the tigers seemed capable of defeating.

The debate was heated, and even though a significant number of the more conservative tribes opposed making concessions to the tigers, it was the numerically largest tribes whose members pushed through a decision in favor of doing so.

In the end, it was decided that messengers would be sent to the tigers to inform the Great Khan that the herbivores agreed to the tigers’ plan.

The assembly of herbivores would allow the tigers, at least temporarily, to offset their losses by recruiting other predators and thus further expand their troop strength beyond the originally agreed-upon 300 tigers. All in the name of the greater good, of course.

Furthermore, the herbivores would ensure that the carnivores did not lack food for the duration of this conflict. At the same time, they wanted to make sure the tigers were aware of what a heavy burden this placed on the community. Nevertheless, taking into account the special circumstances and the fact that the community would have to pay an even higher price if the Nea-Phi-Lim were not stopped, the herbivores would take this burden upon their shoulders.

Finally, the messengers were instructed to inform the tigers that it had been decided to raise their own troops and make them available to relieve the tigers. The herbivores were aware that they would not be of much help in the event of a real battle, but they would certainly be able to take on simple tasks such as guarding the borders.

Compared to the hot, humid air outside in the jungle, it was pleasantly cool in the great hall. Nevertheless, the tapir was sweating and felt as though he were standing in a puddle of his own bodily fluids as he stood before the dais on which the Khan’s throne was situated. He had been sent to deliver his people’s offer to the tigers, and much to his surprise, the priestess who had received him at the temple’s main gate had led him straight into the great hall rather than simply taking the document from him.

While the Great Khan carefully read through the parchment that had been handed to him by the herbivores’ messenger, the tapir shifted nervously from one foot to the other before his throne, glancing around regularly. The leader of the tigers deliberately took his time examining the offer, relishing the envoy’s uncertainty and nervousness. It was only a small satisfaction after all the time the herbivores had kept them waiting, but nonetheless it was a satisfaction and he would not let it be taken from him.

It took another interminably long moment before he was finally satisfied and, nodding, passed the parchment to his daughter, who flanked him on his left. Emily took the document and read it carefully as well. She had, of course, immediately noticed that her father had deliberately taken his time and was now doing the same, though not quite as pronouncedly. After all, one had to know one’s own limits and those of one’s guests. So she finally nodded appreciatively and whispered something to her father in their own dialect, whereupon the Great Khan began to smile benevolently and turned back to the envoy.

“We are extremely grateful for the understanding shown to us by the herbivores and gladly accept this offer. We will immediately make preparations to integrate the herbivore militia into our armed forces and will soon send messengers to make contact with the remaining carnivores in the surrounding areas. Please inform your leaders to contact the captain of the guard to discuss possible roles for your warriors. Let us hope it is not already too late.”

The Great Khan finally declared, speaking very softly but with conviction. His gratitude was clearly audible, and even Emily had no doubt that he meant exactly what he said; nevertheless, from her vantage point, she could see his tension. Meanwhile, the tapir before him nodded eagerly and bowed deeply and respectfully.

“Certainly, certainly, I will report to the elders.”

He replied, and was rewarded with a brief nod.

“For the greater good.”

Added the leader of the tigers, and the tapir nodded again while nervously rubbing his hands together.

“Yes, exactly, for the greater good.”

Echoed the envoy, continuing to nod eagerly, as if he needed to convince himself, whereupon the Great Khan smiled and pointed to the large portal at the other end of the hall.

“Very well, you may withdraw now. Report to your elders; we still have much to do here.”

Even though it still sounded friendly, it was no request, but a command best obeyed if one valued one’s life. The tapir wasn’t stupid; instead, he bowed deeply once more and then quickly retreated toward the portal before finally turning and hurrying out of the hall. Only when the large double doors slammed shut with a loud thud did the mighty tiger allow himself to relax. He sighed and rolled his eyes dramatically before letting himself fall heavily onto his throne.

“Oooh, how I hate such sycophants…”

He muttered quietly, and Emily approached the throne with a confused expression. She couldn’t quite understand it ‒ wasn’t this exactly what they had wanted? The herbivores had finally given in, and they were even willing to establish a militia, no matter how efficient it might ultimately be. Her father looked up at her and saw her confusion. After taking another deep breath, he began to explain:

“This envoy is the type who always wants to please his master. He has no opinion of his own, no drive, no self-esteem, and no backbone. He’ll always say yes and amen, no matter what his elders demand of him. If they say, ‘Jump,’ he’ll ask, ‘How high?’”

He began, leaning back against the backrest of his throne.

“But never mind that; we’ve gotten our way. Now we can send Garra out to gather the other jaguars, and we can form our army to hopefully drive out these Nea-Phi-Lim.”

He continued, noticing a jolt run through his daughter. He fell silent and looked at her intently.

“Is everything all right, Emily?”

He finally asked, raising his eyebrows, while Emily felt caught off guard and looked at him with a mixture of horror and shame.

“When will you send Garra away?”

She finally asked him quietly, careful to sound as calm as possible, while the Khan shrugged.

“We’ll see, but certainly within the next few days. We still need to work out a plan and make a few preparations, but I want to send him on his mission as soon as possible. We’ve already wasted far too much time on this matter.”

he replied, and Emily nodded silently. A previously unknown fear welled up inside her, a feeling she had never experienced before. It wasn’t that she didn’t know fear, for she had messed up so many times and had often been afraid that either her father or her mother would find out. That fear had been both a motivator and a hindrance, and had saved her skin time and again, but the fear she felt now was different. It was a much more primal, primitive fear, one that ran much deeper and threatened to trigger an existential crisis. She didn’t want to admit it to herself, and certainly not to her father, but she was terrified of losing him. What if Garra didn’t return from this mission?

Only now did she realize how deeply she had taken the jaguar into her heart, and even more so, how much she loved him. This was no longer a mere infatuation, or a little flirtation between a young girl and a stately tiger ‒ not anymore. It was true love that transcended boundaries and cared nothing for traditions or even species.

The fear of losing him nearly suffocated her.

This did not go unnoticed by her father. He wasn’t as sensitive as Pecada, but he wasn’t stupid, and his daughter’s obsession with the jaguar had become more than obvious in the last few days. He sat up straight and looked at her seriously.

“Emily, your interest in Garra has been very noticeable these past few days, and now his imminent departure seems to be shocking you. Is there something you’d like to tell me?”

He asked in a calm but insistent voice, and Emily had to restrain herself from reacting too hastily. She felt caught in a prank that could end badly, even for her. She barely managed to keep her composure and slowly shook her head.

“I just enjoy talking to him; he knows so many things about the outside world that I’ve never heard of, and I’d love to learn so much more from him. I’m afraid that if you send him on his mission now, I’ll never get the chance to learn so much about the eastern territories firsthand.”

She replied, and it even sounded convincing, because strictly speaking, it wasn’t a lie ‒ she had just omitted a few details. Her father nodded slightly as he looked at her long and intently. Finally, he closed his eyes and sighed.

“Well, Emily, I’m terribly sorry, but I think the survival of the entire community takes precedence over your private lessons. We’ll send Garra on his mission as soon as possible; there’s no changing that.”

Said the Great Khan, and his decision was final ‒ Emily knew that, and she could only agree with him, yet she was still afraid. She nodded slightly.

“Of course, Dad, I completely understand. Of course his mission takes precedence over my little chats with him.”

She admitted dejectedly before looking around.

“May I take my leave?”

Emily finally asked, not least out of fear that her father would now ask her the crucial question, but he merely smiled gently and nodded.

“Mhm, of course. I don’t think there’s anything left for you to do here right now anyway.”

He replied calmly and relaxed. Emily nodded and handed the herbivore’s document back to her father before kneeling before him and bowing her head. He rolled the parchment up leisurely and then very gently placed his huge paw on her head to ruffle her fur a little.

“It’s all right, go, child. Leave your old man alone with his work.”

He ordered with a smile, and Emily rose again. She looked a little better as she turned toward the portal. The Great Khan watched her for a moment longer as she crossed the hall with infinitely elegant steps.

Once she had finally left the hall, he turned his attention back to his thoughts, but Emily’s reaction to his statement wouldn’t leave his mind; he would have to speak with Pecada again later about this mother-daughter secret. It was slowly becoming a problem.

Outside the hall, Emily quickened her pace and hurried back to her chambers. She had only just narrowly avoided disaster ‒ too narrowly. She was certain her father suspected something; he just hadn’t quite put two and two together yet. On the one hand, it was good that Garra would soon be leaving the temple; that way, her father wouldn’t be able to uncover her secret, at least not as long as Garra was still within reach. On the other hand, she didn’t want to let him go, at least not without seeing him one more time. She knew, however, that she absolutely could not visit the prisoner right now. It would be far too conspicuous. She would wait until nightfall; only when everyone was asleep would she visit him one more ‒ and likely last ‒ time before her father sent him on his mission.

She practically ran through the long, winding corridors of the temple until she finally reached the Great Khan’s harem and, beyond it, the room she still shared with her sister. She cautiously opened the door and peered into the room shrouded in darkness. Amelia still hadn’t returned, just when she probably needed her most.

“And what do you want to tell her, silly girl? Do you want to confess that you’ve lost your heart to some stray jaguar and now need her help to test your father’s patience one last time?”

She scolded herself quietly as she realized just how crazy the idea really was. If her little, hot secret were to be exposed, at least this time it would only be her in trouble; Amelia would be off the hook. She flopped down on her bed and suddenly felt so incredibly powerless. There was really nothing she could do. Garra had to go; it was the only chance to find allies before the great battle, it was unavoidable, and yet she found it so unfair. Maybe she should talk to her father after all, confess her feelings for Garra to him; maybe he would…

“…no, he wouldn’t. You know he’ll never understand. Even if he did understand, he’d never allow it. Never, not in a hundred years.”

She told herself and pulled her legs up to her chest. She closed her eyes, and her thoughts drifted back to her last encounter with the great warrior and how gentle he had been. It felt as though she could still feel his lips on her body. Carefully, she touched the spot on her neck where her thick fur hid the small mark he had left on her. It didn’t really hurt; it was a strangely pleasant feeling to know that he had left her a little souvenir.

She wanted to feel him one more time. To feel his intense tenderness, his passion, and his desire on her body once more as he touched her, held her tight, and caressed her, as his lips found her mouth and took her breath away. She kept her eyes closed and let her hands glide over her body. She imagined that it wasn’t her hands exploring her curves right now, but his. Her breath came in long, trembling gasps as her right hand very slowly approached a boundary that even Garra hadn’t crossed yet. It felt good, and she wanted it, she wanted it so badly, but the closer she got to her pubic area, the more the face in her mind’s eye changed, until suddenly Amelia was crouching over her and it was no longer the jaguar’s hand making its way between her legs.

Startled, she pulled her hand back and snapped her eyes open, but she was still alone in her room; the door was locked tight and no one was there. Relieved and disappointed at the same time, the young tigress rolled onto her back and stretched out.

“Why? Why right now?”

She asked into the darkness, but received no answer. Slowly, she raised her hand to her face and examined it, rubbing her fingers together. It had felt good. Good, but wrong. It wasn’t the same if it wasn’t him doing it.

She curled up again, pulled her legs closer to her body, and lay still. She had made her decision.

…

During the day, the jungle was hot and humid, and if it wasn’t the heat that killed you, it was the insects that ate you alive. The nights, on the other hand, long and dark as they were, were cooler but no less humid. It often rained during the night. The jungle lived up to its nickname: Rainforest, for good reason. In the past, before the pact with the tigers, it was the night that the herbivores feared most. The carnivores were even better camouflaged at night than during the day, and their superior night vision helped them track and ultimately kill their prey even in poor lighting conditions. Now that the herbivores had a non-aggression pact with the tigers, the jungle was reasonably safe even in the dark, for no bloodthirsty predators crept through the thicket anymore, waiting only for one of the prey animals to venture out of its hiding place.

That night, however, this was not the case, for a silent shadow was creeping through the temple’s corridors. A shadow hunting a very special prey. It had already tasted blood, and now nothing would stop it from reaching its goal.

Emily had waited until she was absolutely certain that everyone else was asleep. She had been lying on her bed, ears pricked, listening for every sound that made its way into her room. Little by little, she had heard her father’s concubines bid him goodnight and slip into their respective beds, until only the Great Khan himself and her mother could be heard.

They spoke quietly in the hallway as Pecada led her father to his chambers and promised to take his mind off things. She had covered her ears when she heard the voices and sounds her parents were making; it was simply too embarrassing for her to witness what was happening in the bedchamber of the most powerful tiger in this jungle.

But when even that source of noise eventually fell silent, giving way to a heavy stillness, Emily finally opened her eyes. She would lie there for a moment longer, not only to make sure the others were truly asleep, but also to let her eyes adjust to the darkness surrounding her.

Finally, the young tigress rose and crept slowly toward the door that would lead her out into the harem and from there into the rest of the temple. It wasn’t the first time she’d sneaked out of her room at night, but this time so much more was at stake that her heart was pounding in her throat with excitement. Carefully, she placed her delicate hand on the wood of the door and listened, but all she could hear was the rush of blood in her ears. Holding her breath, she pulled the door open, hoping it wouldn’t squeak. She was lucky, and then squeezed through the narrow gap out into the corridor that would lead her past the concubines’ chambers and out to the rest of the temple. Once more she stopped and listened to the silence of the night, broken only by the soft breathing of half a dozen tigers in the next room.

Silently, the Khan’s daughter crept down the hallway, always careful to move as naturally as possible despite her caution, so that if the worst came to the worst, she could claim she was attending to some other perfectly natural need ‒ but no one saw her, no one stopped her. Emily knew the temple, every little niche, every corner, every crack and every step between the stones that formed the floor of the ancient complex. She could find her way around it blindfolded without stumbling or running into a wall, but only after she had left the heavy door behind her ‒ the one separating the harem from the rest of the temple ‒ did she allow herself to relax a little.

The most difficult part of her nighttime excursion by far was behind her; she had left the harem and her parents behind, and now she had to make her way to her destination as unnoticed as possible. She used her natural ability to move almost silently and glided like a ghost from shadow to shadow. She benefited from the fact that very few tigers were still present in the temple at this hour; nevertheless, she chose a different route than the one she would normally take, hoping to encounter even fewer tigers there.

It wouldn’t necessarily raise questions that she was sneaking through the temple in the middle of the night, practically naked, but it would be noticed, and she wanted to avoid that if possible.

Emily was lucky; all the way to the entrance to the dungeon, she hadn’t seen or heard a single soul. That alone was a success, but she hadn’t reached her destination yet. There was one last hurdle to overcome: the guard in front of Garras’s cell. As the young tigress approached the staircase leading down to the dungeons, she pressed her slender body against the cold stone wall and inched forward very slowly. She listened to the night, hearing the distant sounds of the jungle, the soft patter of rain carried by the cool breeze through the temple’s corridors, and the gentle snoring of the guard in the basement.

Carefully, the young tigress crept down the stairs into the dungeon, tensing up more with every step. Finally, at the foot of the stairs, she pressed herself against the corridor wall again and inched forward until she reached the corner behind which the jaguar’s cell lay. Holding her breath, she paused for a moment before peeking cautiously around the corner to find the guard asleep on his stool. A smile spread across her lips as she waited a moment longer to see if the tiger on duty was really asleep. Only when she was truly certain did she squeeze around the corner and creep closer to him. With every step she took toward the cell, her heart beat faster and louder in her ears. She swallowed and licked her lips; if she could get past this tiger without waking him, she would make it to the cell.

Once, it was a close call when the tiger on his stool shifted ever so slightly and his hand fell from his stomach to the floor. Emily nearly jumped against the opposite wall in fright, but managed to hold herself back just in time, while the guard raised his hand back to his stomach and simply went back to sleep. There was probably a silver lining to being in the army ‒ you learned to sleep under any circumstances. The Khan’s daughter, meanwhile, refocused on the task at hand: pulling back the door bolt as quietly as possible to gain entry. Since she had come and gone from Garra’s quarters so many times by now, she knew how to move the bolt without making any extra noise.

Hesitantly, she reached for the lever and paused. Deep down, her conscience protested against what she was about to do. Nothing had happened yet; she could still turn back now and no one would notice, and she could pretend she’d never been there ‒ but that would also mean she’d likely have to let her last chance to meet the Jaguar waiting for her behind that door slip away. She wasn’t ready to let this opportunity slip away, not anymore; her heart was drawn too strongly to the warrior with the dark green eyes. She pulled back the latch and then opened the door just wide enough to squeeze through, holding her breath. Inside, she closed the door again and turned toward the cell. It was pitch black in the small room, whose only connection to the outside world was the door through which she had just squeezed. The air was heavy, stifling, warm, and saturated with his scent. Emily was literally trembling as she took it in with a deep breath and felt the now-familiar acceleration of her heartbeat. She wanted to embrace him, hold him tight, drown in him ‒ so much did this very special scent arouse her. She looked around cautiously, but even with her enhanced vision, she could make out only rough outlines in the cramped cell; at the same time, she didn’t need to see him ‒ she could hear him lying peacefully on his bunk, asleep.

She could no longer hold back; she had to go to him. Her whole body was screaming at her to finally get moving, while the last shreds of self-control and conscience she had left were begging her to leave the cell and go back to her room. Biting her tongue, Emily finally pushed herself away from the door and crawled on all fours through the cramped space. With every cautious step, his scent grew stronger, and hot and cold shivers ran down her spine; her muscles protested loudly against her decision, but she remained undeterred and soon crouched down next to his cot. The young tigress trembled with excitement as she could hear him breathing beside her. On any other night, she would have been content to sit next to his bunk and simply listen to him, but tonight that wasn’t enough; she needed him, his touch, his tenderness, one last time.

“Garra… Garra, wake up…”

She whispered, so softly she could barely hear it herself. It took a moment for him to react, but then he slowly opened his eyes. Blinking, he turned his head toward her, but before he could say anything, she placed a finger on his lips.

“Shh… we have to be quiet… this time…”

She whispered, her voice trembling with excitement, while he looked at her with his calm, green eyes. Their eyes met, and then he was suddenly wide awake. He took a deep breath but remained completely calm as he gently removed her finger from his lips.

“Emily, are you sure you really want this?”

He asked just as quietly and sat up slowly. The mere thought of what the young tigress was suggesting elicited a clear physical reaction from him. Meanwhile, Emily held his hand tightly and nodded slowly. She had never been so sure of anything.

“Father will send you on your mission tomorrow or the day after at the latest, and I’m afraid I’ll never see you again.”

Replied the young tigress, crouching directly in front of him as he looked down at her and noticed that, aside from the obligatory loincloth, she was practically naked, causing his heartbeat to quicken instantly. It wasn’t that he was averse to her offer, but he feared that her father would view their union rather negatively, and he didn’t exactly want to incur the Khan’s wrath. He gently brought his hand to her head and tenderly stroked her cheek. Her fur was so incredibly soft, and when he touched her, she rested her head in his hand.

“He’ll kill me if he finds out.”

He whispered, but his body betrayed him. Before him sat a young tigress who was ready to give him everything, and his body ‒ which had been denied these pleasures for so long ‒ was practically screaming at him to give in to her urging, but he still held back. Emily, meanwhile, enjoyed the touch and lifted her head slightly so she could look into his eyes. She couldn’t disagree with him; the Great Khan would likely execute the jaguar personally if he found out.

“That’s why he must never find out. We have to be quiet, very quiet, and quick.”

She finally said, pushing herself up toward him. Her lips found his, and she kissed him deeply. Garra returned the kiss and wrapped his strong arms around her slender frame before using his strength to pull her first to her feet and then onto his lap. Emily let him lead her willingly, and as she sat on him, she wrapped her legs around his waist and could already feel him straining against her from below. His cautious restraint, his scruples regarding the consequences her father might bring upon him, crumbled under her initiative as she also wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened their kiss. She threatened to devour him completely as his hands explored her back. She couldn’t get enough of him.

The forbidden, the taboo, and the adventure he embodied aroused her immensely, but it wasn’t just that he was the forbidden fruit; he was so sensitive, didn’t pressure her into anything, and could be so incredibly tender. She wanted him, only him, body and soul, with claws and everything else. She didn’t care that he wasn’t a tiger, that her father would probably have a heart attack if he found out ‒ he was the one.

Her hair began to stand on end and a shiver ran down her spine as Garra let his sharp claws glide very gently across her back. She gasped into their kiss and her whole body began to tremble as he kept the kiss alive and continued to tease and caress her. Slowly, so agonizingly slowly, he let his hands wander lower, past the base of her tail, and they came to rest on her firm buttocks, where he grabbed hold with gusto. Emily tried to stifle a moan and instead wrapped her legs tighter around his waist.

She was hot, so incredibly hot, but she wanted it this way; this was right, this was how it was meant to be. Meanwhile, his manhood pressed rock-hard from below against the gates of her temple, and she couldn’t help but grind her hips against his lap. That sensation alone already promised unimagined pleasure as she spread her own wetness over his shaft.

Finally, the sensation became too much for her, and she broke the kiss with a deep breath. Their eyes met, and she recognized the same unbridled excitement and the same desire in him that had also taken hold of her.

“I… I need it now… don’t make me wait any longer…”

She pleaded with him, her hips emphasizing her plea. Garra nodded; he was only too happy to give her what she craved. He used his sharp claws to tear the thin ribbon holding her loincloth together, then took the small scrap of fabric ‒ which, even under favorable circumstances, barely shielded her secret temple from prying eyes ‒ and tossed it to the floor. Now she was completely naked; nothing was hidden anymore, nor left to his imagination, and that was just fine. For as he looked down at her, a shudder ran through him that made even his manhood tremble. He, too, could not and would not wait any longer.

And so he grabbed her hips and used his strength once more to lift her up. Their eyes met again, and Emily felt his spear rise against her. She held her breath and looked deep into his eyes before nodding. He would do it; they would really do it. The Jaguar returned her nod and let her slowly sink onto his manhood.

It was a completely new experience for her as his burning-hot spear penetrated her temple for the very first time. She clenched her teeth as she felt his size begin to stretch her, and then, then suddenly it wouldn’t go any further. Garra paused in his movement and looked at her with concern.

“Wait… are you still a virgin?”

He asked quietly, sounding as if he’d only just realized what he was about to do. Emily swallowed and finally nodded. Of course she was still a virgin; her father would never have allowed her to do something like this, not even with a tiger, because… after all, she was still his little girl, even though she was technically already an adult. The only experiences she’d had in that area so far had been small, innocent games with her sister, and those hadn’t been much more than exploring her own body.

Meanwhile, Garra looked at her, searching for words, but the young tigress on his lap didn’t want to wait any longer and finally took the initiative. With all her might, she pushed herself down his shaft and literally impaled herself on him. The moment the tip of his spear finally penetrated her temple completely, she drew a sharp breath and squeezed her eyes shut. Her fingers dug convulsively into the fur on his shoulders, while a stifled scream caught in her throat. It happened so fast that Garra couldn’t even react at first; all he could do was hold her tight as she gasped for air.

She knew enough about sex to realize it would be painful, but she hadn’t expected it to hurt this much. The only reason she didn’t stop right then and there was her deep desire to be with Garras. She wanted to curse and scream out loud, but she couldn’t if she didn’t want to wake the guard outside the door, so she buried her snout in Garras’s neck and suppressed the pain.

Of course, this didn’t go unnoticed by the jaguar, and he hugged her tighter and pulled her to his chest.

“Are… are you okay?”

He finally asked, gently stroking her back. Emily, however, hesitated; she wasn’t entirely sure, but her pride wouldn’t let her tell him, so she nodded.

“Yes, hnnnn… yes, I’m fine… it’s just, hnnnnn… no, I want it this way… keep going…”

She whispered, her words muffled by the jaguar’s fur, to which she was clinging. She tried to maintain the commanding tone in her voice, but it was quite obvious that she wouldn’t succeed. Garra nodded ‒ who was he to refuse the Princess of the Tigers her wishes? ‒ and so he placed his large paws on Emily’s hips and began to very carefully rock his own pelvis back and forth.

They were small, minimal movements, but they were already enough to make the great warrior murmur softly and contentedly. It was as if the young tigress were made for him, and every further undulation of his hips brought him closer to the peak of his arousal.

While it felt incredibly good and right to Garra, Emily was experiencing a completely different spectrum of sensations. Although the initial, breath-taking pain had subsided, it had given way to a far less intense, yet still all-consuming pain. She responded to each of his small movements with a little gasp, and every time he thrust himself back into her, she dug her claws into his shoulders again. Nevertheless, she was overjoyed that she could feel him moving inside her.

However, the longer the jaguar continued with his slow and gentle movements, the more the pain in the tigress gradually subsided, eventually giving way to an entirely new sensation. Garra noticed it even before Emily herself did, but the young tigress had begun to move her hips on her own and use her muscles to give herself more pleasure. Her muscles trembled from the unfamiliar exertion, while her hot breath flooded against the jaguar’s neck in short bursts, accompanied by suppressed moans. With every fresh thrust, as she pressed her mound deeper and tighter against Garra’s lap, her claws dug deeper into his back. His arousal, too, climbed to ever-new heights as he clasped his hands tighter around her hips and pulled her faster, tighter, and deeper onto his spear. He didn’t know how much longer he could hold out; the sensations were simply too strong, and the more Emily tensed, the more intense the stimulation became.

But it wasn’t just Garra who was in danger of succumbing to the sensation; Emily, too, was barely able to cope with the mixture of pain and pleasure. She had never felt anything like this before, and it was beginning to shake her to her very core. Her innermost being took on a life of its own, tensing and relaxing completely at will and driving her nearly mad with the resulting sensations. She wanted to moan her lust aloud into the cell, to give voice to her arousal, but she still had just enough restraint left not to do so ‒ though that restraint was crumbling with every passing movement. She bit her tongue in a last-ditch effort not to moan out loud.

Meanwhile, her soft, quiet sounds ‒ her moans and pleas ‒ caused Garras’s own arousal to reach new heights. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the cell wall.

“By the ancestors… hnnngh… soon…”

He whispered, still trying to be as quiet as possible, while Emily nuzzled his neck and clung to him desperately. Never had the sensation been so intense, and if it continued like this, she was sure she would melt. Meanwhile, Garras’s movements grew increasingly jerky, and his body began to twitch. It was obvious that he was losing the battle, but he wasn’t ready to give up yet, so he quickened his efforts and tried to penetrate her deeper.

For the young tigress on his lap, who was trying to support his movements, all of this was still uncharted territory. She was completely overwhelmed by herself and her feelings; her whole body was tingling, and her muscles no longer obeyed her. She was sure she’d already had at least one small climax.

“Hnnnn… Garra… I want it… do it… now… hnnrrrrr…”

She whispered, purring into his ear, before biting down on it. That was the last straw for the mighty jaguar, whose body arched against Emily’s as he consecrated her temple with his seed. He bared his teeth as his body allowed a few final, spasmodic thrusts and he suppressed a groan. His claws dug into Emily’s buttocks and held her firmly on his lap until the very last drop of his seed had been released.

As the young tigress experienced Garras’s orgasm, feeling him explode inside her and his body stiffen, it brought her close to the edge of the abyss. Instinctively, she kept moving, continuing to rub her hips feverishly against his, but her muscles, too, were on the verge of cramping up completely. When the jaguar finally twitched one last time, Emily’s moment had come as well, and all her defenses broke down.

It was like a shockwave spreading through her body, and everything inside her tensed up. Her breath caught, and she clung to the jaguar with all her strength while her entire body began to twitch; Garra, who was still reveling in the height of his own climax, had trouble holding her on his lap. Instinctively, she finally bit him on the neck, thereby stifling her scream.

It took a while for both of them to calm down again. Emily carefully relaxed her jaw and pulled her head back, breathing heavily. Fortunately, she hadn’t bitten too hard, and the small wounds wouldn’t be noticeable. Their eyes met as she licked her lips and tasted his blood on them. As they both slowly regained control of their breathing, it was the jaguar who found his voice first.

“So… usually… the male partner bites his partner on the neck.”

He whispered with a smile on his lips, and Emily blushed immediately. She was embarrassed by her uncontrolled bite, but it had felt so right, and she was about to apologize, but Garra beat her to it and sealed her lips with a gentle kiss, which the young tigress returned. When their lips parted again, he placed his hand on her cheek and caressed it tenderly.

“That was incredible.”

The jaguar murmured, and Emily could only agree. This experience was unlike anything she had ever experienced in her life, and she enjoyed every second of it, but finally she lifted her head from his paw and looked deep into his eyes.

“Prom… promise me you’ll come back…”

She whispered, nestling against his strong, broad chest. Garra nodded and placed his hands on her back.

“I’ll come back…”

He finally promised, and Emily snuggled closer to him, burying her hands in his thick fur and holding him tight.

“Good… because I want to do that again… with you…”

She whispered, finally beginning to truly relax as he pulled her close to his chest with his strong arms and rested his head on hers.

Oh yes, he wanted to do it again, too… over and over. It had been incredible, and next time it would be even better. He would move heaven and earth to return to her. He had promised, and he would keep his promise. Gently, he kissed her on the head and stroked her back.

“Shouldn’t you try to slip out of here as quietly as possible before someone catches us after all?”

He asked quietly, glancing worriedly toward the door. It wasn’t that he wanted her to leave ‒ quite the opposite ‒ but there would be an incredible amount of trouble if someone caught them now. They had both done their best to be quiet, but he knew only too well that the security guard outside the door had sharp ears. Emily buried herself even deeper into his chest, reluctant to let go of her Jaguar, but of course they both knew he was right. The whole operation was risky enough as it was; they couldn’t overdo it. But this was probably the last time she’d be able to be with him, and if she let him go now, she didn’t know if she’d ever see him again. It was all just happening way too fast for her.

Finally, though, she had to admit that it didn’t help to keep putting off the inevitable, and so, after what felt like an eternity, she pushed herself away from his chest and looked at him seriously. There was sadness in her eyes, but also a strength and resolve she hadn’t thought she possessed. Garra smiled gently and stroked her cheek once more; he was proud of her and nodded. Before she slowly and unsteadily pushed herself off his lap, she kissed him passionately one last time.

Now she stood naked before him, and in his eyes she had never been more beautiful, as she held one arm shyly across her breasts and used her other hand to cover her modesty as best she could. It was as if she were only now realizing that she stood completely exposed before him. A blush of shame rushed to her ears and she trembled with excitement, while he smiled calmly and savored the sight, but everything had to come to an end eventually.

“Now go on, girl, and don’t be afraid ‒ I’ll come back. I promise.”

He finally whispered and nodded toward the door. Emily followed his gaze and nodded as well. She knew she had to go; there was no way around it. Both listened to the dark silence beyond the cell door, but it was truly dead quiet outside the cell, apart from the occasional snoring of the guard. Carefully, the young tigress crept toward the door, opened it a crack, and after glancing back at Garra one last time, she squeezed through. He nodded silently, and then she was gone.

She closed the door and locked it again, glancing fearfully at the tiger on guard; somehow she was even more nervous now than before. Quietly and stealthily, she crept past the tiger again and made her way back to her quarters.

Meanwhile, Garra was still sitting on his cot, looking first down at himself and then at the floor in front of him. A smile formed on his lips; she had forgotten her loincloth. The small scrap of fabric lay at his feet, smiling up at him. Carefully, he bent down and picked it up, gently running his fingers over the fabric that had been the only thing blocking his view of her most sacred part just moments ago, and brought it to his nose. He took a deep breath, revelling in the scent, and smiled even wider. He would hide the little scrap of fabric well and never give it back.

After he’d had his fill of the scent, he leaned back, relaxed, against the cool wall of his cell. Sleep was out of the question for now; he was too excited, too happy to close his eyes. He wanted to cheer, to shout and dance, but that would only raise stupid questions. He would content himself with relaxing and reflecting on the events of this night. He had expected many things, but certainly not that, of all the tigers in this temple, the Great Khan’s daughter would sneak into his cell and offer him her innocence. He sniffed the loincloth once more and smiled.

Emily crept through the dark corridors of the temple again, hurrying back to her room. It wasn’t until just before she reached the Khan’s chambers that she realized she had left her loincloth with Garra. Once again, her ears burned at the thought of what the jaguar might be doing with the garment. Then she realized that she had just run completely naked through the entire temple. In itself, it wasn’t exactly unusual for tigers to move about the temple naked; it happened regularly, especially during the hotter months, and most tigers had no major inhibitions, but her special status as the daughter of the Great Khan did change the situation a bit. That, and the fact that the prisoner’s seed was oozing out of her temple, would lead to some truly uncomfortable questions.

The latter, in particular, made her flinch and refocus on the final stretch of her journey. She actually managed to make her way through the harem seemingly unnoticed and make it all the way to her own room, where she closed the door behind her and took a deep breath.

She had done it. She had actually accomplished it. She had sneaked through the entire temple twice without being noticed, had reached her goal, and had done what she had set out to do. She quickly went to her bed and curled up on it.

It took a moment before she admitted to herself that she wouldn’t be able to sleep. She was too excited; too much had happened during this little excursion, and her thoughts kept circling back to the charismatic jaguar in the dungeon. The lust and the desire to see him, to feel him, were uncontrollable, and she caught herself as her hand slid between her legs. She wanted… she had to touch herself, had to make sure it had really happened, that it hadn’t just been a dream.

She gasped softly as she touched her temple, caressed the sensitive folds, and gathered the jaguar’s souvenir with her finger. It hadn’t been a dream; that much was certain.

It would be quite a long while yet before both of them had finally calmed down enough to surrender to a restless sleep haunted by wild dreams.

…

The nights in the jungle are long and dark, but even they eventually come to an end, and so the next morning Emily lay curled up on her bed and opened her eyes very slowly. She had had a wild night, for more than one reason. Not only had she sneaked into the dungeon and lost her innocence to Garra there, but she had also had the wildest and strangest dreams afterward.

Despite all that, she felt well-rested and purred contentedly as she slowly unfolded, stretched, and rolled over. Only then did she realize that she was no longer alone in her room, but that Pecada was sitting on Amelia’s bed, looking at her seriously.

The young tigress, who had been completely relaxed just a moment ago, was now suddenly wide awake and flinched. Her mother, however, wasn’t fazed by this and merely nodded approvingly.

“Good morning, Emily, I’m glad you’re awake now…”

She began, using that very special tone she always used when she knew she’d done something wrong. Emily flinched, but knew there was no point in trying to avoid what was coming, so she nodded slowly.

“Good morning, Mom.”

She replied quietly, almost timidly.

“…we need to talk. Sit down.”

Pecada continued, pointing to the edge of the bed, whereupon her daughter slowly sat up and slid forward to the edge. She sat stiffly, upright, with her legs pressed tightly together, and looked over at her mother, whose expression seemed frozen.

“What… what do we need to talk about?”

the young tigress asked meekly, trying to meet her mother’s gaze but failing miserably. She had only too good an idea of what this conversation would be about. Across from her, Pecada sniffed the air in the room and wrinkled her nose.

“You know very well what we need to talk about…”

Pecada replied, forcing herself to remain calm, but she gave Emily no chance to defend herself, instead continuing immediately:

“…your little escapade from last night. You’re lucky your father hasn’t caught wind of it yet.”

The concubine’s voice remained completely calm, but Emily knew all too well that her mother was seething with rage inside, and she looked down at the floor.

“You… you noticed?”

She asked quietly, daring to glance up at her mother from the corner of her eye. It was a purely rhetorical question; she already knew the answer. Her mother tilted her head slightly and raised her eyebrows, as if to ask, “What do you think?” Instead, she said:

“Emily, I’m your mother; nothing you do stays hidden from me… besides, you reek of sex.”

And thus stated the obvious; then she leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees, and looked at her intently.

“Now spit it out, who?”

She demanded to know, but her tone had already lost some of its sharpness; she seemed genuinely interested in the answer, especially since there weren’t too many male tigers left in the temple. But Emily didn’t answer; instead, she swallowed, pressed her lips together, and continued to look up at her mother from the corner of her eye. The silence that built in the room during that brief moment, until the penny dropped for Pecada, was suffocating, and even though the moment lasted only a few heartbeats, it felt like an eternity. An eternity in which Emily died, was reborn, only to die again. Especially when she noticed the changes in her mother’s expression, she just wanted to sink into the ground and never resurface.

Pecada herself didn’t know what had come over her; the realization of what Emily’s silence implied pulled the rug out from under her feet.

“You can’t be serious…”

She hissed.

“…tell me you don’t mean that…”

She repeated herself, because she couldn’t believe it herself, but Emily couldn’t contradict her. Her mother gasped and ran her hand over her face, digging her fingers into her hair. A thousand thoughts raced through her mind, and none of them were good. Several times she tried to start a sentence, but kept breaking off without saying anything. Every time she thought she’d found a way to express her thoughts and worries, it crumbled in her mind’s eye.

“Hmm… ab… ne… hnrrrr…”

She stammered, while Emily very carefully lifted her head and looked directly at her for the first time.

“I love him, Mommy.”

She finally whispered, which seemed to snap Pecada out of her trance. She looked at her for a moment with wide eyes before letting her head drop and taking a deep breath; then she beckoned her daughter over. Emily rose hesitantly and took the three steps over to her sister’s bed. When her mother lifted her head again, her face was a mask of pain, compassion, and sadness, which made Emily flinch for a moment, but when Pecada opened her arms, she still crawled onto her lap and let her embrace her.

“Of course you love him, but do you even know what the consequences of this will be?”

Pecada asked softly, stroking her daughter’s back, whereupon Emily nodded gently. Her mother, however, shook her head.

“No, no, you don’t. I knew you had a crush on him, and I knew you’d already crossed a few of the boundaries I’d set for you, but I didn’t think you’d go this far.”

She explained quietly, and Emily buried herself deeper into her. Pecada sighed and rested her head on Emily’s.

“Was he your first?”

She finally asked, and she felt Emily’s face flush before she hesitantly nodded.

“Hmm, I figured as much. Was it at least worth it?”

She wanted to know, and Emily remained silent, but hugged her tighter and finally nodded. Pecada smiled gently and continued to stroke her.

“Your father shouldn’t find out about this yet, not while Garra is still at the temple. Agreed?”

Her daughter nodded again, and Pecada kissed her on the head. She wouldn’t betray the Jaguar ‒ it wasn’t exactly his fault ‒ but she feared that this mother-daughter secret was slowly becoming too much for her to handle. She wondered how much longer she could keep it hidden from the Great Khan. Her partner wasn’t stupid; he probably already had his suspicions, and sooner or later he would insist that she reveal the secret. She wouldn’t be able to refuse him ‒ he was the Khan. She just hoped she could manage it so that it would happen at a convenient time. She looked at the little bundle of misery in her lap and pressed her against her chest once more.

“You shouldn’t visit Garra anymore for the time being, until he leaves, so your father doesn’t become even more suspicious. We’ll have to sort all this out once Garra is gone, and it should be settled before he returns.”

The older tigress decided, and Emily nodded again.

“Good girl. There’s going to be a lot of trouble, and I don’t know how much of it I’ll be able to cushion this time. Not only did you do it without my blessing or your father’s, but you did it with a jaguar… with a tiger, he might have turned a blind eye, but with Garra…”

She left the sentence unfinished, but it was quite clear what she was implying. Her daughter, meanwhile, gently pushed herself away from her and looked at her with reddened eyes.

“But he was… is the one. He’s so gentle, he’s not as snobbish as the others, and he… he doesn’t just see me as a means to an end to gain power.”

The young tigress protested softly, while her mother gently wiped a tear from her cheek and smiled tenderly.

“Yes, maybe he is all that, but he is and always will be a jaguar, and I don’t know if your father can overlook that.”

She replied truthfully. The Great Khan was a traditionalist, like almost all tigers ‒ not to mention all the animals in the jungle. Their society was deeply rooted in the past; they tended to look backward, guided by what their ancestors had done, rather than looking forward and considering what they could do better. Pecada was no exception; it bothered her, indeed outright offended her, that her daughter was wasting her love on a jaguar, but she also knew that one couldn’t always choose such things. She loved her daughter more than the traditions, and if her daughter insisted that Garra was the one and that he gave her what no other tiger could, then she wouldn’t forbid it. Especially since Emily wouldn’t be ascending the throne.

Emily looked at her, and her lips began to tremble as tears welled up in her eyes, whereupon her mother nodded slightly and pulled her back to her chest, holding her tight.

“He’s really turned your head, hasn’t he?”

It was a purely rhetorical question to which Pecada didn’t need an answer, but Emily nodded anyway and let her tears fall onto her mother’s décolletage. Her quiet “Yes…” was swallowed up by her mother’s bosom. Tenderly, she continued to stroke her daughter’s back and rocked her gently back and forth while she pondered how she could explain the whole thing to her partner without him sending the entire guard after Garra.

Finally, she smiled and planted another kiss on the top of her daughter’s head.

“All right, it is what it is. But so I can keep your secret and put in a good word for you with your father, you have to tell me everything… and don’t you dare leave out the juicy details!”

Pecada demanded in a conspiratorial tone as she tickled her daughter’s ribs. Emily tried to resist the urge to laugh, but in the end she failed.

In fact, the following days passed without further incident. Emily stuck to her agreement with her mother and refrained from further meetings with the jaguar, even though she wasn’t exactly happy about it. Outside the temple, the tigers withdrew their warriors; the last scouts had returned from the territories beyond their borders, and the captain focused on reinforcing their defenses. Inside the temple, too, everything proceeded as usual.

As he had promised, the Great Khan had met with Garra one last time to explain the situation to him and make his offer. He would set the Jaguar free, with the task of rounding up as many jaguars as possible and bringing them to the temple. Together they would fight the Nea-Phi-Lim and drive those bastards from their territories, and once everything was calm and safe again, they would go their separate ways. There would be no ulterior motives, no tricks, and no secret plans; the Great Khan was a tiger who kept his word.

Garra wanted to believe him; it was his only chance to regain his freedom, and so he agreed to the plan. He would set out and visit the few settlements whose locations he knew. He would present the Khan’s offer and hope that the jaguars would be willing to forge a long-forgotten alliance anew.

When the day of departure finally arrived, it was a farewell without much fanfare. They gathered at dawn at the main gate of the temple: the Great Khan, accompanied by Emily, the High Priestess, and of course Garra. The Tigers had equipped him with everything he would need. He wore a cloak not unlike those worn by the Khan’s bodyguards; they had given him a sturdy spear so he could defend himself if necessary, and enough meat to last a good week.

The Great Khan also presented him with a seal that guaranteed him safe passage as long as he remained within the Tigers’ territory.

“Good luck, Garra, you’ll need it.”

The leader of the Tigers wished him, extending his hand. Garra returned the greeting, and his handshake was firm, as befitted a warrior.

“I will return, and I will bring you an army.”

The jaguar promised, whereupon the Khan nodded. Emily stood behind her father, her hands folded in front of her body, and looked at the ground. She didn’t dare look at him, for fear she would lose her composure. After all, it was the High Priestess who had sent him on his way and wished him a safe journey.

When Garras finally turned to leave, it broke Emily’s heart. She managed to hide her feelings from her father, but she struggled not to break down on the way to her room.

But it wasn’t just the pain that was troubling the young tigress; now that Garras was gone, it was time to have a few conversations.

When the time came the following evening to confess her relationship with Garras to her father, Emily sat on her bed and waited while her mother argued with the Great Khan in the harem next door. Her mother had said she wanted to speak with him first, to at least try to smooth over the worst of the waves before she let him loose on his daughter. Emily had been able to hear part of that discussion all the way into her room. Her father had raged terribly, had shouted and cursed, and a few times she had heard loud commotion, but then it had grown quiet in the harem. Out of fear, she had retreated to her bed and pulled her knees up to her chin. She had no choice but to wait for her parents to finish their argument and for her father to open the door to her room and come in.

She knew all too well that he could be very quick-tempered and that, once he reached a certain point, he tended to destroy things. He had proven more than once that, if he was angry enough, he lost control of himself; however, she was also pretty sure he wouldn’t use violence against her ‒ her mother wouldn’t allow it ‒ but she was still afraid. Both Amelia and she had often been the victims of his outbursts when they’d gotten into trouble again, but so far he’d always settled for angry lectures. She just hoped that would be the case this time, too.

She crouched on her bed and listened to the silence beyond her little kingdom. It had been quiet in the next room for quite a while now, and somehow that frightened her more than if she could hear her father raging and smashing things. If he were stomping up and down the hallway and yelling, then at least she would know where he was and what he was doing. But this way, she was forced to wait and worry about when he would appear in the doorway to give her an earful.

She closed her eyes and pulled her knees closer to her body in an attempt to calm herself down at least a little.

It seemed like an eternity to her, during which she heard nothing but her own heartbeat. She didn’t notice it at first when there was finally a very soft knock on her door; only when it knocked again, a little louder, did she open her eyes and look toward the door that separated her room from the rest of the temple and her angry father. She didn’t react immediately, unsure whether it might help to pretend to be asleep, but the decision was taken out of her hands when the door was opened from the outside. Her father stood in the doorway and looked over at her. Emily wasn’t quite sure how to interpret his expression and posture.

He looked so incredibly tired, stressed, and clearly upset, but at the same time he seemed defeated, downright crushed. When she looked into his eyes, she could see the love in them, but also the pain. The whole situation seemed to be tearing him apart inside.

He just stood in the doorway, as if he didn’t quite know what he was supposed to do now, but finally he found his voice again.

“Do you mind if I sit down with you?”

He asked in a calm but hoarse voice, and Emily slid over a little to make room for him to sit down before she shook her head cautiously. The Great Khan nodded, slowly entered the room, and closed the door behind him. Now they were alone in her room. A closed-off space, her safe haven, and the only way out led past her father through the closed door. So there was no way out of this situation; she would have to face him.

With small, deliberate steps, he approached her bed and finally settled down carefully beside her on the edge of the bed. Normally, her father was significantly larger than she was, just as most other male tigers were larger and heavier than she was, but at that moment he seemed smaller and more vulnerable than she was. It was almost as if age had caught up with him in the last few hours and made him frail. His fur was disheveled, his normally beautiful yellow-green eyes were bloodshot, and his cheeks looked strangely sunken. The gray streaks that had crept into his stripes had never struck her as so noticeable before, and even his posture seemed weak as he sat on the edge of her bed, propping his elbows on his knees and unable to keep his hands still. His breath came in deep, steady gasps, and his ears twitched at irregular intervals as he seemed to search for the words with which to begin their conversation.

A conversation on which so much would depend.

In the end, Emily made the decision for him.

“I’m truly sorry.”

She whispered, placing her delicate hand on her father’s broad back. The Great Khan waited a moment before slowly turning slightly and looking at her over his shoulder. His smile was full of sincere affection, but also full of pain. The betrayal had hit him hard; Emily already knew that.

“Emily, child…”

He began softly, his voice hoarse and rough.

“…I’m afraid ‘I’m really sorry’ won’t quite be enough this time.”

He continued, his tone still calm, but Emily could tell from the slight tremor in his voice just how angry and hurt he really was. Slowly, she pulled her hand back and buried her head in her knees. He took a deep breath and spoke again.

“What were you thinking, child? He’s a jaguar.”

He said indignantly, his voice rising slightly, but he didn’t even wait for her answer.

“No, don’t say it ‒ I already know. Your mother told me.”

He added disappointedly, turning back to face forward and staring at his hands, which he had clenched into fists. He didn’t know which betrayal hurt him more: that of his daughter, who had not only acted behind his back but had also chosen to get involved with a jaguar rather than a tiger, or that of his first concubine, who had known about it from the start and had decided to remain silent. He took another deep breath before turning back to Emily.

“If only it had been a tiger…”

He whispered, finding it hard to stay calm. Behind him, he could hear Emily’s breath trembling, and he felt her pull her legs tighter against her body.

They sat silently on her bed for a while, and the only thing that occasionally broke the silence in the room was the soft sobbing of his daughter behind him. His anger, which had long since burned out, was now just a pile of ashes smoldering deep inside him, stubbornly refusing to die out completely. He knew he could punish her now, forbid her from contacting Garra, and lock her in her room, but none of that would change what had already happened; all a harsh punishment would do now was drive a wedge between him and Emily that he would never be able to remove. Besides, his love for his daughter was stronger than any tradition.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. They couldn’t keep giving each other the silent treatment any longer; that wouldn’t help anyone ‒ not her, not him, and certainly no one else. They would resolve the issue now, once and for all. He slowly exhaled and opened his eyes before slowly turning toward his daughter. Emily was a little bundle of misery, having retreated to the farthest corner of her bed and curled up into a tight ball. When the Great Khan saw her like that, all the hardness faded from his face and he let his shoulders slump.

“Look at me, Emily…”

He whispered softly and waited patiently. He knew he would have to give her a little more time now, and indeed, it took an agonizingly long moment before she lifted her head just enough to see over her knees.

“Does he really mean that much to you?”

He asked, his voice nothing more than a hoarse whisper. Emily looked at him for a long moment, but he couldn’t quite tell what was going on inside her; finally, she nodded almost imperceptibly. When he saw that, he sighed, nodded, and slowly sat up.

“Come to me, child.”

He finally said, patting the mattress next to him. His daughter hesitated at first, but then she slowly slid over to him and sat down next to him on the edge of her bed. She looked terrible; even her fur was now completely disheveled, and her eyes were swollen from crying. Carefully, the Great Khan put his strong arm around her shoulder and gently pulled her toward him. She let him and leaned against him.

“I want to understand, Emily. Explain it to me ‒ why him?”

He asked softly, rubbing her arm. Meanwhile, Emily closed her eyes and savored the affection before sighing softly.

“He’s just so different from the tigers here. He’s gentle, polite, he has no ulterior motives when he’s with me, and I feel deeply drawn to him deep down inside.”

She explained softly and pressed herself closer to her father. He smiled gently and continued to stroke her. Her mother had already told him every detail. If he was honest, he had to admit that he, too, had the impression that the jaguar was a gentle soul. Nevertheless, he was torn inside; on the one hand, he could not and would not approve of the relationship between the two, but on the other hand, he did not want to risk losing his daughter if he forbade her this love.

Then again, in defiance of all tradition, he was about to form an alliance with the Jaguars to destroy an enemy that was on the verge of driving their entire civilization to the brink of extinction. Perhaps it really was as Emily had said, and in the future they would have to communicate much more closely with the peoples of the other territories, and then it might even be an advantage if there was already a bridge between them.

He looked down at his daughter, who was still clinging to him, trembling. He stroked her head, pulled her closer, and made a decision ‒ for the sake of his daughter and for the sake of the entire community. He swallowed his grief and took a deep breath. Instinctively, Emily tensed, as if she already knew what was coming.

“Emily, child… you know that tradition will never allow these unions…”

He began in a calm, gentle tone, but before she could answer, he continued.

“…but I also know how strong love can be, and I know that if I forbid this relationship now, I will drive a wedge between us that I will never be able to remove.”

He continued and kissed her gently on the head.

“So, even though I still can’t quite come to terms with the idea, I will allow you to give in to your love, but only on one condition.”

He finally said, raising a finger, and Emily looked up at him expectantly.

“Garra will officially ask for your hand in marriage in front of me, and you will have no more secrets from me, and if he ever hurts you…”

He left the sentence unfinished. Meanwhile, Emily’s eyes began to shine, and she pushed herself up against him to embrace him. The Great Khan was only too happy to return the embrace and held his daughter close; then he felt her tears begin to soak his shoulder, and he simply held her tight and stroked her back.

“Shhh… it’s all right…”

He whispered and looked toward the door, where Pecada stood, nodding gently. She looked as if a great weight had been lifted from her heart. She offered a kiss, smiled, and retreated into the shadows of the corridor. The leader of the Tigers smiled as he cradled his daughter in his arms; that kiss promised more when he went to his concubine later.

…

Concept and Idea by

El Poyo Diabolo

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El Poyo Diabolo

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El Poyo Diabolo

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El Poyo Diabolo