The rope gave in and, to the Goblin's delight… Syl's legs fell open.

She moved instantly.

It only took a fraction of a second for her legs to shoot up, and wrap around the Goblin's neck and head.

The Goblin froze as her thick, muscular thighs were suddenly around its head and neck.

"Arghh…!" Syl groaned as she squeezed her muscles with all her strength and,

Snap-

Crack-

Thump-

The Goblin hit the ground, neck broken.

"Huff… Huff…"

Syl staggered to her feet and spat on the corpse.

She stood above the dead Goblin, her hands still bound tight behind her back. She looked around for something to cut her restraints with, but the Hobgoblins and Goblins hadn't left anything. 'They wouldn't leave anything around me.' Syl thought, clicking her tongue.

Her eyes lifted to the trees where the Hobgoblins and the rest of the Goblins had gone.

'They'll be back soon. Probably went to look for food or a mount.'

She thought about using the Goblin's claws to cut her restraints, but the distant movement of leaves, made her forget about the idea. Using those claws while having her hands tied behind her back would take too long. 'If they come back now, I'm done for.'

Syl turned in the direction opposite to the one that the Hobgoblins had taken.

Her lips peeled back in a snarl.

Nothing but trees and bushes. Pure wilderness. The absolute unknown.

How many times had she stared into the distance just like this? How many times had she told herself that escaping her fate was impossible without escaping the tribe? How many times had she come back, fearing the wilderness and unknown?

'The chances of survival are higher within the tribe. Yes, that must be why all of them…'

Syl gulped.

This wasn't about survival. It was about freedom.

The female Hobgoblin started running into the wilderness, alone, and with her hands tied behind her back.

'Even if I end up dying out here…' Syl told herself, her eyes gleaming. 'I'd rather die freely than-'

In the distance, a scream tore through the trees. They had found the Goblin's corpse.

Her teeth clenched. She kept running.

Until her body was bruised from staggering and colliding with tree trucks.

Until her body was covered by shallow wounds drawn on her by the sharp tips of tree branches.

Until her body was covered by sweat.

Until her foot was caught by an overgrown root, making her fall face-first.

"Oh, you poor thing…"

Looming over her was the one timid and weak Fox girl.

Syl had tried to reason with her, but she had done so completely instinctively. Her mind hadn't been present at all. It was spiraling.

With the Fox girl standing in front of her, everything came back at once. The disappointed face steeped in sadness. The spear in her small hands, the blood of her first kill, the chants of her name.The endless years since, fighting tooth and claw, carving her place among the Warriors. All of it… All of it had been for nothing.

A sound drew her out of her spiral.

Rip—

Akane crouched in front of her, a piece of cloth torn from her clothes dangling in her hand. The Fox girl's eyes gleamed.

"You're talking too much. Remember this? There was a time when you put one on me. You gagged me to shut me up." Akane tilted her head, tail swaying behind her. "Ever been gagged? It's very frustrating."

The female Hobgoblin had been talking without even realizing it.

She didn't really care.

All she could focus on was the absurdity of it all slamming into her like a war hammer.

The timid Fox girl, the one Syl had dragged into a cage and tossed to the wolves, had escaped.

While Syl was the one facing the very wolves she had thrown the Fox girl to..

Her lips parted. The words "help me" hovered at the tip of her tongue. But they didn't come out. She couldn't force them out. Syl couldn't bring herself to ask for help. How could she beg for help from the very person she had condemned?

Her forehead lowered to the ground with a dull thud. Her teeth clenched.

Her teeth clenched harder. Heat burned her cheeks.

And then, despite herself, tears welled. They spilled freely, trailing down her face and pooling against the dirt beneath her.

"Isn't it fine?"

The voice snapped her back. Amon stepped out of the treeline. "It's obvious she needs help."

Akane blinked, her grip tightening on the cloth. Her red tail stilled. She stared at Amon for a moment before lowering her gaze towards Syl.

"Do you?" Akane asked. "Need help?"

A heavy, silent moment passed.

Syl couldn't bring herself to look up. More tears started running down her face. Her pride shattered, her body trembling, her forehead still pressed into the dirt to hide her tears. Slowly, painfully, she nodded.

Akane stared, lips pressed into a thin line. She turned to Amon, her voice cold as she pointed at Syl with her index finger.

"The rope stays on."

"Yeah, alright," Amon said with a shrug, unbothered.

Akane's gaze lingered on Syl.

"You're lucky he fancies you." She said before turning and stepping away.

Syl gulped, and Amon's hands took hold of her arms, helping her rise to her feet.

"Are you alright?" He asked once Syl was standing, his hands still on her arms.

The female Hobgoblin didn't answer. She kept her gaze on the ground. Strands of hair covered her face, hiding her tears-

Syl froze as his hand brushed those strands of hair away, revealing her teary-eyed face.

Only then did she look up.

Frightened and confused, she stared at his face silently.

"You don't look hurt." Amon said after a moment, his thumb wiping a tear off Syl's face. "That's good."

The two remained standing one in front of the other until,

"Get a move!" Akane complained.

"Yes, boss." Amon chuckled as he started following her.

Syl looked in the direction opposite the one they were heading.

"Are you coming with us or not?" The Fox girl asked with an annoyed voice.

The female Hobgoblin stared at them. They were standing a couple of steps away, half-turned towards her.

She knew in that moment that if she decided to run away, they wouldn't bother following her.

"..." Syl gulped, nodded, and started walking towards them.

Becoming the prisoner's prisoner was a better fate than what awaited her on the other side.

"Use words." Akane said with a cold tone, suddenly appearing right in front of Syl.

The latter looked away. Embarrassed, she wanted to scratch her head but couldn't.

"I'm coming…" Syl muttered. "I'm coming with you."

"Whatever!" Akane sighed and regained Amon's side. "What do you think happened to her?" She whispered.

"You're curious about her, huh?"

"So?"

"Nothing, nothing." Amon chuckled.

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