Read The One-Hundred: Part 1 - The Above (Book #1) Page 22
“Panthera pardus,” Rai-si whispers as we sit in the leaves. “Or a leopard.”
A large spotted cat walks across the slight clearing in the trees, its fur damp with either sweat or water. It makes no noise as the forest life bustles around it, but its muscles are tense, as if it knows its next meal will leap out in front of it at any moment. I watch it as the sunlight dances across it. It’s magnificent. And unsuspecting of us crouching behind the brush.
“I want you to shoot it.”
“That’s all?” I whisper back, the sense of challenge paper-thin. The beast can’t even see me! I could shoot it down in an instant.
“That’s all,” he breathes, patting me softly on the back. I cringe. “Now would be good, before it spots us.”
I nod and place the arrow in my bow. I close one eye, lift my bow, and—
“Open your eye,” Rai-si whispers.
“What?”
“It’ll help, trust me.”
I say nothing, but do as I’m told. I aim once again—
The leopard looks directly at me.
Something purple flashes in its eyes.
Shoot, Cressa-la.
My breath catches in my throat and my arrow soars just as the animals’ cub comes running up to it.
The arrow buries itself in the baby’s left flank.
My heart explodes.
The mother animal sprints towards us.
I don’t even move.
Rai-si stands, aims, and shoots. The cat falls to the ground, eyes closed. I’m stuck staring at the baby, my heart aching, throbbing. What have I done?
I rush over to it and stroke its rough fur, shushing it. The cub tries to get away, dragging its back legs, but I gently take ahold of it and pick it up, pressing it up against my body. It wriggles, trying to escape, but I’m stronger and I hold on, cooing to it.
I carefully pull the arrow out, hoping it won’t hurt the baby even more. It still struggles to get away, whimpering loudly. I try to shush it and calm it down.
“Cressa-la, let’s go.”
“What about—”
“We can’t keep it with us.”
“But it’s hurt! We can’t leave it here. You just killed its mother.”
Rai-si stares at me incredulously and shifts his stance. “I’m sorry, Cressa-la. You’ve failed. Let’s go home.”
He begins to walk away. The baby animal has grown still, a quiet gurgling coming from its mouth. I glance back down at it, wishing it’d make it through this, that it’ll survive. But I know better.
Blood is dripping from its mouth, and its eyes are closing. Its breath is shallow. I move it carefully to look at the wound.
The arrow had gone deeper than I thought it had.
“Shh, sh,” I utter quietly to the animal, holding it close. “It’s okay, it’s okay, I’ll try to help, I’ll try—”
Before I’m able to do anything, the baby leopard’s body goes limp in my arms. Everything in my body tenses up and I will myself not to cry.
I set it down slowly. Wipe a tear from my face. Its chest doesn’t rise nor fall any longer. The sadness collecting inside me turns into anger, into bitterness. If Rai-si had just assisted me in returning it to its full health…
There’s a sound behind me.
“I’m coming, Rai-si,” I growl. “Look what you did. We could have saved it. But you had to take away its mother.”
I turn around. The leopard that had fallen a moment ago stands, alive, and is only a few feet from me. The arrow sticks out from its neck. It’s growling. Smiling cruelly.