The next morning, the group gathered by the cart that Zerai had arranged, its horses ready to go. Elora glanced at Tako, who stood off to the side, watching the animals with an unreadable expression.
“Tako, you can ride with us,” she offered. “It’ll be faster, and we’ll reach Kaethar by sunset.”
Tako’s gaze shifted to the horses, his brow furrowing. “Tako not ride.”
Zerai, already climbing onto the cart, raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean, ‘Tako not ride’? We’ve got the cart right here, big guy.”
Tako shook his head slowly, his eyes still on the horses. “Horses… same.”
“Same?” Elora echoed, confused.
Tako gestured at the animals, his massive hand moving with surprising gentleness. “Horses walk, run. They live free. Like Tako. Not for ride.”
Zerai scoffed, glancing between the horses and the towering vaelin. “They’re not like you. They’re… well, they’re horses. They’re built for this.”
Tako’s deep-set eyes darkened, his voice quiet but firm. “Same. They not for work. Not to carry others. Horses free.”
Lira, standing nearby, folded her arms, considering his words. “You see them as equals, don’t you?”
Tako nodded once. “Same. Tako walk. Horses walk.”
Elora looked from the horses to Tako, her earlier enthusiasm fading. The cart suddenly felt a lot less appealing, as if climbing aboard would be a betrayal of something deeper. Even the horses, calm and docile as they were, seemed to shift uncomfortably under Tako’s intense gaze.
Zerai sighed, hopping down from the cart. “Well, if Tako is walking…” She trailed off, clearly unwilling to argue the point any further.
Thane grumbled, his eyes on the path ahead. “Half a day on foot. Damn.” He shot a glance at the horses, then at Tako, before shrugging. “Aye, fine. I’m not ridin’ if he’s walkin’.”
Without another word, Lira grabbed her pack and started down the road. Elora followed, casting a last glance at the horses, almost as if silently apologizing to them. Zerai shook her head but fell in line behind the others, muttering under her breath.
Tako watched them all, his expression calm. He gave a small, satisfied grunt before falling into step with the group. No one said another word about the cart or the horses they left behind. They walked.
As they made their way down the dusty road toward Kaethar, the morning sun slowly climbed higher, warming the earth beneath their feet. The quiet of the road stretched on until Thane, never one for long silences, broke it. “So, Tako, what’s the longest you’ve walked like this?”
Tako glanced at him, his expression as unreadable as ever. “Tako walk far.”
Zerai smirked. “No surprise there. You ever take a break? Maybe let someone else carry the load?”
Tako scratched his chin, deep in thought. “Tako carry Tako. No need.”
“Well, that makes things simple,” Zerai said with a wink.
Tako gave her a solemn nod. “Tako Bear.”
Zerai’s grin widened. “And what about me? Am I a bear?”
Tako’s eyes narrowed slightly as he considered her question. “You not know yet.”
Elora, walking beside him, gave Zerai a sidelong glance. “I’m not even going to ask.”
Zerai laughed, shaking her head. “Looks like I’ve got some figuring out to do.”
About halfway to their destination, they reached a narrow canyon where the road sloped down between two high cliffs. As they made their way through, a figure stepped out from behind a large boulder ahead, blocking their path.
“Well, well,” the figure said, his voice smooth and mocking. “Looks like we’ve got ourselves some travelers.”
A group of bandits emerged from the rocks, surrounding them. Their leader, a wiry man with a scar running down the side of his face, stepped forward, twirling a dagger in his hand.
“What’s this?” Zerai said, feigning innocence. “A welcoming party? I didn’t think we were that important.”
The bandit leader smirked. “You’ll find we don’t care much for importance, lady. Just gold. Hand it over, and maybe we let you walk away.”
Thane’s hand hovered near the hilt of his warhammer. “Yer in the wrong place, friend.”
Zerai, ever the talker, stepped forward. “Now, now, let’s not make this a big deal. We’ve got a lot of gold, sure, but there’s no need to be uncivilized.”
The leader’s smirk faltered. “I think you’re missin’ the point. Hand it over, or we’ll take it—and your lives with it.”
Zerai laughed nervously. “Right. Of course. You want the gold. But see, the thing is… well, we’ve got some gold, sure, but not a lot of gold, you know? And if we give you all the gold, then we won’t have any for supplies. And trust me, we need supplies because—well, we’re kind of on a mission—so maybe we can work something out? Like a trade, or… maybe…?”
Her voice trailed off as the bandit leader’s expression darkened. He drew his dagger, and the other bandits closed in.
Before anyone could react, a massive shape barreled through the trees, the ground trembling beneath its weight. The suddenness of it was like a thunderclap in the dead of night, a violent force of nature. A huge brown bear, its fur missing from its rump in three arrow-shaped patches, exploded from the underbrush and charged into the canyon with the fury of a storm. The beast’s roar reverberated off the canyon walls, shaking the very air around them. Its eyes, gleaming with a primal hunger, locked onto the bandit leader, and within a heartbeat, it was upon him.
The bear leaped with terrifying speed, its claws the size of daggers sinking into the leader’s chest with a wet, sickening sound. Flesh tore like parchment under the weight of its claws, and the bandit’s scream was cut off in a strangled gurgle. Blood sprayed across the dirt road, painting it red in an instant. The man’s chest opened like a ripped satchel, and his body convulsed, his limbs twitching as the bear tore deeper, its maw ripping through sinew and bone with ease. His eyes, wide and vacant, stared helplessly at the sky, his life already gone.
The rest of the bandits stood frozen in sheer horror, their weapons slack in their hands. They watched, helpless, as the bear shredded their leader like he was nothing more than prey. Entrails spilled onto the ground in steaming coils, pooling in the dust, while the bear continued to savage the lifeless corpse, its snout drenched in blood. The sounds of tearing flesh, the crack of bones splintering, filled the air with a grotesque symphony, the bear’s growls punctuating every violent motion.
When the bear finally rose, it stood on its hind legs, towering over everyone in the canyon. It was a towering beast, a figure of pure terror, its fur matted with blood. The creature’s mouth hung open, blood and saliva dripping from its massive jaws. Its roar split the air, a sound so loud it shook the canyon walls, the force of it pressing against their chests. But then, as the roar echoed and faded, something unnatural happened. The roar began to shift, turning into a deep, guttural laugh like thunder breaking into ragged bursts of cruel mirth.
The sound sent a shiver through everyone present. The laughter was inhuman, rolling like thunder across the canyon, mocking them, daring them to make a move. The bear’s eyes gleamed as it looked at the stunned adventurers, its bloody maw curving into what seemed like a grotesque grin. Time seemed to stop for a moment, the canyon holding its breath in the face of the impossible.
The bear slowly turned toward the party, and as they watched, stunned, the massive form began to shift. Fur melted into skin, claws became fingers, and before them stood Tako, wiping the blood from his mouth.
“Tako?!” Elora exclaimed, wide-eyed. “You’re a bear?”
“Tako said,” he grunted, “Tako Bear,” as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“TAKO BEAR, EVERYONE!” Zerai shouted as though declaring a grand revelation.
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Everyone is a Bear (Apparently)
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