The band moved through the gorge.
Two young women carried Kessa by the arms. She was unconscious but alive—at least, her breathing indicated as much. Kessa's blood had formed crystallized patterns on the fabric, resembling frozen glass.
Further back, the males carried Bura's body on a polar bear hide. Their steps marked the snow, leaving tracks that quickly filled with a pinkish water, a mix of melted ice and traces of blood.
The group kept a cautious distance from Shal'falah, whose silver fur radiated a menacing tone in that icy morning.
Mogu walked beside the creature, their steps synchronized in an unsettling way. The heat in his chest pulsed in contrast to the external cold.
— They need to eat — Mogu said, looking back at the protruding ribs of one of the females. — We've only chewed on bark for three days.
Shal'falah emitted a sound between a purr and a bitter laugh:
— You negotiate like a true leader, Mogu. But you forget that we are not allies. I am your sentence... or your salvation.
A biting wind carried the scent of freshly slaughtered meat—traces of prey caught in a crevice. Mogu swallowed hard, his stomach growling with hunger as he realized he was getting closer to the cave.
The cave entrance appeared like an open maw in his sight. Ice stalactites hung like teeth, dripping water that froze before reaching the ground. Inside, walls were engraved with scratches and grooves from the Silver-Claws.
Shal'falah blocked the group's passage with his tail:
— Here, the rules are mine. Do not attempt anything against me if you want to avoid your friend's fate. — Shal looked coldly at Bura's corpse.
As the band huddled near the entrance, Mogu noticed bones arranged in circular patterns on the ground—some from smaller and larger monkeys, others from unknown creatures. It wasn't the same shelter as before.
Shal'falah dragged the frozen carcass of a snow bear to the center of the cavern.
The predator stared at Mogu:
— Your first lesson: the fire you carry is not to warm bodies, but to melt resistance. Place your hands on it and try.
Mogu nodded, putting his hands on the carcass. Heat sprang from his palms in visible waves, like mist at dawn, but with an internal orange glow. The incandescent energy enveloped the piece of red meat with a high and penetrating hiss, a sound that filled the silence of waiting.
The steam spiraled upward, cooking the food.
The odor released was intoxicating: rich, wild, and seasoned with the natural aroma of the meat. It wasn't just the smell of cooked flesh; it was the essence of the hunt, a scent that promised satiation and strength. The group collectively salivated, their stomachs rumbling softly, betraying the long journey and the forced fast.
Even with the intense hunger and the instinct to eat, no one dared to move. They all looked at Shal'falah, awaiting his permission. Only after his studied, slow nod, full of authority, did the group relax; they were ready for the sharing and the feast.
While the group devoured the meat with savage hunger, Shal'falah led Mogu to a secret chamber. On the walls, cave paintings displayed felines hunting under a golden sun, along with tropical forests where ice now reigned.
— Are we in another cave? — Mogu did not remember those drawings. — It's not the one my band had taken refuge in moments ago.
— All caves are mine. — the feline said, with arrogance. — Since there are no larger or stronger predators in this region, I control the caverns around here.
Mogu ignored Shal's arrogant pride and returned to observing the engravings on the walls.
— What is all this? — he asked; at that moment, he had noticed drawings resembling the natural elements, those he had appreciated in his dream.
— Someone among your race had received the gift — he said, in a low voice, pointing his gaze at a figure of a monkey with incandescent hands in the painting. — However, no one ever knew who this person was until we found a stone with writings from someone named Khulag. I believe you are her closest descendant.
Mogu touched the painting.
— Gift? — he was confused. — It's been only a short time since I discovered the ardor in me. — He stared at his own hands. — That is why my band is alive until now. Is this the gift?
Shal bared his mouth, and being close, Mogu was startled, thinking he would be devoured. That was not the intention. In the opening of Shal's mouth, a flame began to emerge.
— This is the gift. — He closed his mouth, and a dark smoke dissipated as the fire extinguished. — The one who receives it can control the flame, and the entire lineage, sons and daughters, inherits this power.
— So someone before me was the bearer of summer?
— Yes. And now, you will be able to bring summer back. — the feral creature said. — You only need to persist in staying alive and learn to manifest your power.
Mogu remained silent, for he was unaware of the circumstances.
— The next blizzard could kill us all. And that is why I need you to learn to control the flames soon.
The leader monkey lowered his head, full of thoughts and memories.
— That's how Bura saw me. As summer in one flesh, but I realize that you are too, just like me. — He tried to be sympathetic, despite the anger he felt toward the creature for assassinating Bura. — We will save the world together. The last guardian and I. Even if I don't want to do it with you.
- - -
Upon returning from the deepest chamber of the rocky cavity, Mogu found Kessa awake. She was pale and clearly weakened, but her eyes, previously vacant and distant due to fever and pain, now showed recognition of Mogu. Her hand, cold as ice, reached out and gripped Mogu's wrist—a surprisingly firm hold for someone so weakened.
Kessa's skin was damp and icy, an alarming difference from the warmth of Mogu's hand.
— You finally woke up — Mogu said, relieved. — I thought you had died!
He knelt beside her, ignoring the cold sand that stained his knees.
Kessa squeezed his wrist again, the only strength remaining as she made the gesture.
— Mogu... the others? — She tried to sit up, but a sharp pain made her fall back.
— Everyone is safe and sound. We are camped here, don't strain yourself, you are secure. — Mogu aided her, moving to adjust the leather and fur blankets around her.
— Secure? Where is the beast? — she suspected.
A feral face, with striped fur and sharp teeth, slowly appeared from the dark. It wasn't just a glimpse; the creature emerged with a deliberate and menacing slowness, as if it wanted to ensure its presence was noted and feared.
Its eyes, two blue beacons, shone in the gloom, piercing the darkness that enveloped it. The fur, a striped pattern of black and grey that resembled the camouflage of a lurking predator, was dense and bristled. Every hair recounted how savage the predator was.
The teeth were long and pointed, projecting beyond the lips retracted in an unmistakable warning. The muzzle, broad and strong, betrayed an impressive muscular force, capable of delivering a fatal blow. The creature moved with grace, each step calculated, every muscle ready for action.
— Stay calm, little monkey. I need you, and you need me. — he declared, still with all the arrogance of his lethal appearance. — I have no reason to want to kill you anymore.