Chapter 167: The Fox’s Rescue And The Reunion!
Days ago when Cael and the others resumed their journey toward the outcast territory, they had to make a difficult decision.
The rescue team was moving too slowly. They were all worried about what would happen to Neve and Popi if they were late. They needed someone to scout ahead. Someone fast. Someone skilled in stealth and combat.
Cael was the fastest among them, but he was still healing from his injuries from Zyreth’s attack. His ribs were bruised. His shoulder was sore. He could not push himself too hard without risking serious damage.
Worse, he could crash and die of his injuries than the cold. He didn’t want die. There was no way he would choose to die than to see Neve again.
So they decided that Sable would go ahead first. The fox beastman had the skills they needed. He had invisibility. He had combat training as an assassin. He could scout without being detected.
"Go ahead and find Neve," Cael had instructed. "Scout the territory. See where they’re holding him. Wait for us to join you there so you would report to us what you find."
Sable had nodded and shifted to his fox form. He ran faster than the wind, covering distance in hours that would have taken them days.
.
.
The journey to the outcast territory was treacherous.
Sable had to avoid other tribes. He had to stay away from territories that would attack him on sight. He had to move carefully through unfamiliar lands.
When he finally reached the outcast territory border, he shifted back to his human form. He used his invisibility skill, becoming completely see-through. His entire body faded from view like a ghost.
Invisible and silent, Sable crept into the outcast territory. He walked past the guards who held weapons. They were given orders to kill any intruder on sight. But, how were they going to kill Sable when they could not see him?
The landscape was different from other lands. It was darker. The ground was different. The air felt wrong. Like something was off about this place.
’Of course, something had to be off about this place. After all, it’s the outcasts territory.’
Sable moved through the territory carefully, searching for any sign of Neve. He looked in caves. He looked near the water. He looked everywhere a prisoner might be kept.
But the territory was huge. Massive. There were caves within caves. Tunnels connecting different areas. Buildings and huts scattered throughout.
Hours passed as Sable searched silently, remaining invisible.
He was beginning to think he would not find Neve when he heard a voice. A familiar voice. His heart hammered hard in his chest as he tracked the sound, moving through the forest toward the voice.
And then he saw him.
Neve was standing in the forest, surrounded by three large snake beastmen. And the snakes were not friendly.
Sable’s invisibility made him harder to detect, so he moved closer. He watched as the first snake beastman made crude suggestions. He watched as the third one dropped his animal skin and revealed two fully erect penises.
Sable’s hands clenched into fists.
This was assault. This was attempted rape. And Neve was pregnant and defenseless.
Sable frowned, seeing those snakes trying to hurt Neve. He wondered if this was how Neve had been treated the entire time he was captured. If this was how he had been suffering. If this was why they had to rescue him so urgently.
The first and second snakes moved toward Neve.
Sable moved into action.
He pulled thin thread from his pocket, his favorite weapon. The thread was nearly invisible even when visible. In the hands of a master assassin, it was a deadly weapon.
He appeared behind the third snake beastman, the one with the two dicks who had not yet gotten close to Neve.
The beastman sensed something was wrong. He froze as if he sensed someone standing behind him. Before he could reveal anything, Sable was faster.
Sable pulled the thread tight around the beastman’s neck with brutal efficiency. He did not hesitate. He did not show mercy. He pulled the thread and watched as the beastman’s head rolled away from his body.
Blood sprayed everywhere.
The first and second beastmen froze in shock, unable to process what had happened.
Sable appeared behind the second one and dragged the thread across his neck. Quick. Clean. Final.
The first beastman tried to run but Sable caught him easily. One more slash and it was over.
Three dead bodies lay on the forest floor.
.
.
Neve felt a bit nauseous and almost gagged, watching the violence unfold.
Blood was everywhere. Three beastmen were dead. The brutality of it was shocking.
But he was also happy to see Sable. Incredibly happy. Relieved beyond measure.
He did not care about the bodies. He did not care about the blood. All he cared about was that Sable was here. That he had arrived. That he was not alone anymore.
Neve immediately wrapped his arms around Sable, pulling the fox into a tight embrace.
Sable flinched, his entire body going rigid. His face turned bright red. Heat flooded his cheeks.
He could not believe he was being hugged by Neve. Actually hugged. Physical contact that was affectionate rather than hostile.
He immediately pulled Neve away from his body before his body would react too much. Before his physical desire became too obvious.
Neve blinked, suddenly asking himself if Sable hated him. If the hug was unwanted. If he had made Sable uncomfortable.
His eyes snapped above Sable’s head and he saw the favorability meter glowing.
[Sable - 34%]
Heat crept up his face as he stared at the number.
He never knew it went up this much because of a single hug. A lot of additional percent from just one embrace. That was significant progress.
Neve cleared his throat, trying to move past the awkward moment.
"Where are the others?" he asked, looking back at Sable.
"They’ll be here soon," Sable said, his voice slightly strained. "Maybe tomorrow. We were moving as fast as we could but the snow slowed us down."
"What? We don’t have a plan to escape," Neve said, panic rising in his voice. "Zyreth is watching me constantly. He has me guarded. He won’t let me leave."
"Don’t worry, we’ll think of something," Sable said, his confidence helping to calm Neve slightly. "That’s why I’m here. I’m here to help you plan. I’m here to make sure you get out safely."
Neve was happy that Sable was here. Truly happy. But his mind was already thinking ahead.
"There’s something you need to remember," Neve said quietly. "Zyreth has the ability to sense invisible people. The last time you were invisible near him, he sensed you. He knew you were there even though you were completely hidden from view."
Sable’s confident expression shifted to concern.
"Of course, I remembered. That’s why I didn’t go close to his cave. But, how is that possible?" Sable asked, clearly worried about his invisibility being useless against the snake king.
"I don’t know exactly how," Neve said. "Maybe he has some kind of magical sense. Zyreth can detect presence even when things are invisible."
Just when Neve wanted to say more, he heard voices.
Loud voices. Multiple people coming through the forest toward them.
Guards. Or soldiers. Or someone important.
Sable’s eyes widened.
"People are coming," Neve whispered urgently. "We need to hide. You need to leave."
Sable looked at the three corpses on the ground. Dead bodies. Blood everywhere. Clear evidence of violence.
"What about you?" Sable asked. "How will you answer for these corpses? How will you explain why three beastmen are dead?"
Neve’s mind raced. He had to think fast.
"I know how to deal with it," Neve said, his mind working through the problem. "Just leave. Go back and wait for the others. We’ll figure out the next step when you return with Cael and the rest."
"But what about—" Sable started to ask.
"Just leave," Neve repeated, more urgently this time. "Please, Sable. Trust me."
Sable wore a worried look on his face. He clearly did not want to abandon Neve. But he knew Neve was right. His presence would only complicate things.
Sable nodded reluctantly and vanished into thin air, using his invisibility skill to disappear.
The voices got closer. Footsteps crunched on dead leaves. People were almost here.
Neve thought of something to do. Anything to do. Anything to say that would explain the bodies and the situation.
But then a better idea came to him.
He did not have to do anything. He did not have to say anything.
Neve simply collapsed to the forest floor. He let his body go limp. He closed his eyes like he had fainted or lost consciousness.
That way, he would not have to explain the dead bodies. That way, whatever came next, he could pretend to be helpless and injured and unable to provide information.
People could not interrogate an unconscious person.
This was his escape. This was his solution.
That way, he would not have any answers for anything.