we are the cursed

It was a sanctuary amidst the chaos of the wetlands, a haven where Caedes could hunt and roam with impunity. As he moved through the tangled underbrush of the island, he caught the faint scent of something familiar on the breeze. Instinctively, he followed the trail through the dense foliage of the Delta, until Caedes also smelled danger on the wind – one that made his fur bristle with unease. Tiger. No matter for him normally, but in this wetland of mud and brackish water? A challenge. He smirked briefly to himself, all but forgetting that familiar scent as he continued on, trailing the tiger wherever he found its scent between streams.

And then he saw it – a sleek, powerful form moving with deadly purpose through the dense foliage, its eyes fixed on something ahead. Really, it’s the dog-girl, isn’t it? Rolling his shoulders with a silent sigh, he tensed. Then, without hesitation, Caedes surged forward, crashing through the brush with a feral snarl.

He collided with its back, grappling, his teeth moving to sink into the tiger’s back before it was able to whirl on him, sending them both to the ground in a ball of fur and claws.