The Tiger Within Chapter 38

"A tiger known as Kan decided to take control of the Prosper Lands . He struck a deal with the lion . If he helped him destroy the brothers, Kan would give him Kyera . " Verone recited the story closing his eyes to contain the power within . There was anger and pain in them when they reopened looking down at the cabin . So many years had pa.s.sed since he and the siblings took a meal on that porch . Memories that should hold light, left him with a tinge of guilt .

"I've heard the old ones curse Kan . " Talis said thoughtfully . It was common enough in town among generals, and considered the highest insult to be compared to the tiger . Granted Talis had never seen hide nor hair of the beast .

"Yes . They do, because Kan was a coward . He murdered the three younger brothers in their beds . Keenan was the only one to survive the initial attack . The smell of blood woke him, or at least that's what we believe . No one knows for sure how but Kyera or Keenan one run the alarm bell . " his voice choked a bit as he leaned against the tree behind him, shoving off the bolder with force .
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"We arrived to find Keenan dead, Kan was wounded . Kyera was 10 years old, but came stumbling out in a night dress . She had blood on her paws . Her hand prints are on the porch from where she slipped in a pool of blood . " his fists clenched as he closed his eyes . The memory haunted him . He had been 13 at the time . She had been so broken, shocked she couldn't shed a tear . Her body had trembled .

"I see . Keenan wounded him before he could escape . " Talis deduced, sighing as he looked at the cabin . He had no idea, but it made sense . This darkness in Kyera's past, why she lived in the tent… . All of it suddenly sprung into focus .

"No . Kyera attacked him, but she was too young . She wasn't a killer . He escaped . You see his success depended on no one knowing he killed the brothers . " Verone pointed out "But Kyera waking up, and the alarm being sounded ruined any chance of that . He ran . We never found a body, but sometimes I smell him in the woods . " his eyes glanced at the surrounding trees then back at the garden . The moon was rising fast . She should be awake by now he thought .

"and Akim, Akam, Ak-whatever . What happened to him?" Talis asked and Verone chuckled darkly .

"he was punished by his own clan . Either dead or imprisoned but no one had seen him since . " Verone replied with a shake of his head, his mane flowing over his shoulders . "Don't mention this to Ky . "

Talis gave his brother a look as if asking 'do you think I have a death wish?' . Verone saw the look . Decoded it . Then he shrugged . The urge to attack his brother and pumble him hit Talis fast but he thought better of it .

"So, why are we here?" Talis asked, deciding to change the subject as if his brother hadn't just insulted his intelligence . Verone began walking down the hill .

"Because I know her best . Stay here . " Verone instructed before continuing to the garden . Talis sighed, but laid down to wait for his return . There was no point in following his big brother and upsetting his teacher .

Afterall, he had just received a fair bit of news to digest . Nothing so dark had been told to him before . A family befalling so many betrayals… why?

He pondered this question, staring at the cabin without truly seeing it . It was as if he was begging the building to reveal its secrets, and explain the troubled past that he had been told . Why did the brother's meet their end? How did Kan kill Keenan? There were too many questions . . . For a split second, out of the corner of his eye he thought he noticed four Tiger shadows behind the stone pillars his brother had disappeared behind . However when he went to look, there was nothing there .

Talis laughed at himself . "letting the past get into your head? Stupid boy . " he chided himself, but there was a side of him that felt uneasy .