Robin lay perfectly still, his heart drumming a frantic rhythm against his ribs. The System's warning light—a pulsing, oily purple icon—glowed in the corner of his vision like a localized headache.
[WARNING: VOID-RESONANCE DETECTED WITHIN THE VILLAGE.]
[COORDINATES: BASTET EMBASSY CAMP.]
Beside him, Lunara was a warm, soft weight. She had fallen asleep with her head on his chest, her silver hair fanned out like a silken map of the stars. Her breathing was slow and rhythmic, the deep, contented sleep of a warrior who finally felt safe. Her tail, which had been a restless whip all day, was now draped over his legs, heavy and warm.
I have to move, Robin thought. But if I wake her up, she's going to go full Alpha-mode, and we'll have a diplomatic incident with the cat-people before sunrise.
He slowly, agonizingly, began to slide his arm out from under her. Every time the furs shifted, Lunara would make a small, soft mumble—a sound that was surprisingly cute for a woman who could kick a hole through a tree.
"Mmm... Robin... stay," she whispered, her nose scrunching up as she nuzzled deeper into his shoulder.
He froze. His face burned. It was one thing to see her in armor, commanding a battlefield; it was another to see her like this, completely defenseless and vulnerable. He felt a surge of affection that almost made him forget the void-tracker.
"Just for a second, Luna," he breathed, so low it wouldn't wake her.
He used his [Flow-Step] skill, not for speed, but for silence. He visualized the mana in the yurt, seeing the still, quiet currents of air. He slipped out of the furs like a shadow. Lunara shifted, her hand searching for his warmth for a brief second before she grabbed a stray bundle of furs and hugged it to her chest, her tail twitching in disappointment.
Robin felt a pang of guilt as he pulled on his new scout armor and slipped out into the night.
The village was quiet, the moon-oil torches burning low. The Bastet embassy camp was situated on a small rise near the western gate, marked by silk tents that looked like colorful mushrooms under the crimson moon.
As Robin approached, he kept to the shadows of the giant roots. He didn't have Lunara's nose, but the System's tracker was acting like a hot-and-cold game.
[RESONANCE STRENGTH: 85%]
[SOURCE: INTERIOR OF THE MAIN PAVILION.]
That's Nyx's tent, Robin realized, his stomach dropping. Is she the one? Or is she just a target?
He reached the back of the pavilion. The silk was thin, and he could hear the sound of soft, melodic purring coming from inside. It wasn't the sound of a traitor; it was the sound of someone very comfortable.
He found a small gap in the fabric and peered inside.
The tent was filled with luxury. Plush rugs, gold-rimmed bowls, and the smell of expensive incense. Nyx, the feline emissary, was sprawled out on a pile of cushions. She wasn't wearing her silks anymore; she was dressed in a sheer, black sleeping-gown that left very little to the imagination. Her long, black tail flicked lazily as she read a scroll.
But on a small pedestal next to her bed, hidden behind a vase of lilies, was a small, black orb. It was pulsing with that same sickly purple light Robin had seen in the grotto.
[OBJECTIVE IDENTIFIED: VOID-EYE (LISTENING DEVICE)]
[FUNCTION: TRANSMITS AUDIO AND MANA-SIGNATURES TO THE WEAVER.]
She doesn't know it's there, Robin thought. The Bastet are proud. They wouldn't let a spy-orb sit on their nightstand if they knew.
He started to back away, planning to find Lunara after all, when he stepped on a dry twig.
Snap.
In an instant, the purring inside the tent stopped.
"You know," Nyx's voice rang out, silk and sandpaper. "It's very rude to watch a lady sleep, little star. Though I suppose I should be flattered."
Robin froze. Before he could even think of running, the tent flap flew open. Nyx was there, moving with that terrifyingly liquid grace. She wasn't holding a weapon, but her claws were extended, glinting like obsidian needles in the moonlight.
She looked at Robin, her emerald eyes widening in surprise, then narrowing with a wicked, feline glee. "Oh? The wolf's squire? I expected a scout, not a midnight visitor. Did you get bored of the silver fur so soon?"
"It's not what it looks like," Robin stammered, his face turning a shade of red that matched the moon. "I... I was tracking something."
Nyx stepped closer, her tail curling around her ankles. She leaned in, her scent—musk and jasmine—filling his senses. She was shorter than Lunara, but she carried an intensity that was purely predatory. "Tracking? In my camp? At this hour?" She reached out, a clawed finger tracing the line of his jaw. "You're a very bold human, Robin. Or a very foolish one."
"There's a spy-orb in your tent," Robin blurted out, pointing past her. "On the pedestal. Behind the flowers."
Nyx stiffened. Her playful demeanor vanished in a heartbeat. She spun around, her eyes fixated on the vase. She walked back inside, and Robin followed, feeling the weight of the situation shift from embarrassing to lethal.
She moved the flowers aside, and her face went pale beneath her black fur. The purple light reflected in her green eyes.
"A Void-Eye," she hissed, her voice trembling with rage. "In my personal quarters. If the Weaver has been listening to the Council through me..."
She reached out to smash it, but Robin grabbed her wrist.
"Wait! If you break it, she'll know you found it. We can use this."
Nyx looked at him, her chest heaving under the sheer gown. She looked remarkably feminine in her fury—vulnerable yet dangerous. "Use it? How?"
"We feed it false information," Robin said, his mind working through the [Logical Deduction] skill. "Tell her the tribes are split. Tell her the attack is coming from the south. Give the Lunawolf time to prep the real journey."
Nyx stared at him for a long moment. Then, she let out a slow, vibrating purr. "You really are clever, aren't you? No wonder Lunara is so possessive. You think like a cat, Robin. I like that."
She sat back on her cushions, patting the spot next to her. "Sit. Tell me more of this plan. And don't worry about your wolf. She's a heavy sleeper when she's happy, isn't she?"
Robin didn't sit on the bed, but he did stay for twenty minutes, whispering a plan to Nyx while she watched him with an intensity that made his skin crawl.
"So," Nyx murmured, leaning back and stretching. The movement was deliberately provocative, her tail lashing the air. "I feed the spider lies, and in exchange, you owe me a favor. A 'Bastet' favor."
"I thought the 'favor' was not letting the Weaver kill you in your sleep," Robin countered.
Nyx laughed, a soft, bell-like sound. "A fair point. But I still think I'd like that favor. You're a very interesting man, Robin. Most of the 'brothers' in this village are all brawn and no brain. You... you have a spark."
She leaned forward, her face inches from his. "One more thing. If you tell Lunara I was wearing this when you visited, I'll tell her you were the one who asked to see it."
Robin's face burned. "I'm going now."
"Fly away, little star," she teased, her eyes shimmering. "I'll see you at the morning briefing."
Robin slipped back into the yurt, his heart still racing. He carefully shed his armor and slid back into the furs.
He thought he had made it. But the moment his head hit the pillow, a strong, muscular arm wrapped around his waist and yanked him backward.
"You smell like jasmine," a low, dangerous voice whispered in his ear.
Robin froze. Lunara was awake. She didn't move her head from the pillow, but her tail was wrapped so tightly around his leg he could feel her pulse.
"Luna, I can explain," he squeaked.
"You went to the Bastet camp," she stated. It wasn't a question. She turned over, pinning him beneath her. Her silver hair fell around them like a curtain, her golden eyes glowing with a mixture of anger and a strange, fierce hurt. "Why? Was my yurt not warm enough? Were my furs too rough?"
"There was a spy-orb! In Nyx's tent!" Robin explained frantically. "The System alerted me. I didn't want to wake you because I knew you'd charge in and start a war with the emissaries! I was trying to handle it quietly!"
Lunara stared at him, her breathing ragged. She leaned her forehead against his, her ears flattened. "A spy-orb?"
"Yes. We're using it to feed the Weaver lies. Nyx is helping. I swear, that's all that happened."
Lunara stayed there for a long time, her weight heavy and warm on top of him. Slowly, the tension left her shoulders. She let out a long, shuddering breath.
"You idiot," she whispered. "You could have been killed. Or worse, she could have seduced you. Cats are... persistent."
"She tried," Robin admitted, his voice barely a whisper. "But I told her I already had the best guard in the world."
Lunara's ears perked up. She pulled back slightly, looking into his eyes. A small, triumphant smile touched her lips. "You did?"
"I did."
She let out a soft purr—a sound she usually only made when she was extremely relaxed—and leaned down to nip his earlobe. It was sharp enough to sting but gentle enough to make his toes curl.
"Good. Because if I ever catch that jasmine scent on you again, I'm going to have to mark you even harder."
She didn't let him go. Instead, she shifted, lying on top of him fully, her head tucked under his chin. "Sleep, Robin. For real this time. If you leave this bed again before sunrise, I'm tying you to the center pole."
[BOND LEVEL: LUNARA 50% - MILESTONE REACHED!]
[NEW ABILITY UNLOCKED: 'SOUL-BOND RESONANCE']
[EFFECT: YOU AND LUNARA CAN NOW SHARE STAMINA AND MANA DURING COMBAT. LUNARA GAINS +20% ATTACK SPEED WHEN WITHIN 10 FEET OF YOU.]
Robin smiled, wrapping his arms around her. The milestone felt like a physical weight lifting off his chest. He was no longer just a squire; he was her anchor.
The next morning, the village was buzzing. The other tribes were preparing to depart, their leaders gathered in the plaza for the final send-off.
Nyx was there, looking perfectly composed in her silver-tipped silks. She caught Robin's eye and gave him a slow, deliberate wink. Lunara, who was standing right next to him, let out a low growl that made the nearby Cervine emissary jump.
"Ignore her," Lunara hissed, her tail giving Robin's waist a possessive squeeze.
Chief Fenris stepped forward, his greataxe resting on his shoulder. "The alliance is struck! The Ursine will guard the northern pass. The Cervine will ward the groves. The Bastet will provide the scouts for the borderlands."
He turned to Lunara and Robin. "And the Lunawolf... we will strike at the heart. My daughter will lead a chosen group to Astrum-Vale. Robin, you will be her eyes."
Mina stepped forward, her floppy ears twitching. "And I'm going too! The trees need a voice, and Mother Kaia says I'm ready."
Lunara looked at the apprentice, then at Robin. She looked at her father and the assembled tribes. For the first time, she looked like more than a warrior; she looked like a leader who knew the cost of what was coming.
"We leave at noon," Lunara declared.
The preparations were fast and efficient. Robin was checking his packs when a shadow fell over him. It was Mina.
The girl looked nervous, her hands fidgeting with her grass-woven belt. "Robin? Can I... can I talk to you?"
"Of course, Mina. What's up?"
She looked around to make sure Lunara was busy with the kodo-beasts. "I saw you last night. Going to the Bastet camp. And I saw... how Lunara looked at you this morning."
Robin felt a twinge of embarrassment. "Mina, it's—"
"No, it's okay!" she said quickly, her face turning pink. "It's just... I've never seen the forest so happy as when you're around. Even the 'bad thoughts' in the trees seem to go away. I just wanted to say... thank you. For taking care of her. And for taking care of us."
She reached into her pouch and pulled out a small, carved wooden pendant. It was shaped like a Moon-lily. "This is a spirit-charm. It'll help you breathe when we get to the high passes. I made it for you."
[ITEM ACQUIRED: MINA'S CHARM (UNCOMMON)]
[EFFECT: +15% RESISTANCE TO ENVIRONMENTAL TOXINS.]
[BOND INCREASE: MINA 25%]
"Thanks, Mina. This means a lot," Robin said, touched by the girl's sincerity.
"You're welcome! Just... don't let the cat-lady eat you," she giggled, before skipping away to help with the Shamanic supplies.
Noon arrived with the blowing of the Great Horn.
The departure was somber. The village elders lined the path, singing a low, haunting song of parting. Robin felt the weight of their expectations. He wasn't just some guy who fell from the sky anymore; he was a hope.
The group consisted of Lunara, Robin, Mina, and four veteran Lunawolf warriors—Skara, Tali, Hroth, and Boran.
As they reached the edge of the territory, Lunara stopped and looked back at the village. Her silver hair was tied back for travel, her spear gripped tightly. She looked at Robin, her golden eyes filled with a fierce determination.
"Once we cross the White-Water River, we're in neutral territory," she said. "The Weaver's influence will be stronger there. No more soft beds, Robin. No more hot springs."
"I think I can handle it," Robin said, adjusting his pack. "As long as the 'best guard' doesn't get tired of me."
Lunara laughed, a light, feminine sound that echoed through the trees. She reached out and grabbed his hand, her fingers interlacing with his. "Not a chance, star-boy."
They stepped out of the Lunawolf lands, heading toward the distant, jagged peaks of the Astrum-Vale mountains.
But as they walked, Robin's System pinged with a new, long-term notification.
[LONG-TERM GOAL UPDATED: THE ELEVENTH HOUR.]
[OBJECTIVE: REACH ASTRUM-VALE BEFORE THE ECLIPSE.]
[TIME REMAINING: 20 DAYS.]
"Lunara," Robin said, looking at the countdown. "How long does it usually take to get to the Demon City?"
"On foot? Through the mountain passes and the Shadow-woods?" She paused, her ears twitching. "About thirty days. Why?"
Robin looked at the '20 Days' remaining on his screen. The Weaver wasn't just building a web; she was on a deadline.
"We need to move faster," he said, his voice grim. "A lot faster."
Lunara looked at the horizon, her expression hardening. "Then we don't follow the path. we cut through the Glimmer-Fen."
The veteran warriors behind them gasped. "The Fen? Lunara, that's suicide! The spirits there haven't seen a wolf in a century!"
"Then they're in for a surprise," Lunara said, her eyes flashing with a dangerous, feminine fire. "Because we have a star-fall on our side. And he doesn't like being late."
She squeezed Robin's hand, her tail brushing against his hip. "Ready, Robin?"
"Ready," he said.
They stepped into the unknown, the first true arc of their journey beginning in the shifting, treacherous mists of the Glimmer-Fen.