Kapitel 18: Rescuing a Big Kitty

Blissfully unaware of her morose knight's misgivings and the desperate pursuit of her furious right-hand, the woman responsible had stopped short in front an opening of a cave with an entrance of about six feet tall. Chalice was ecstatic at this, she had finally found a shelter. Carefully shuffling inside, she kept her senses receptive.

Chalice was halfway in when she saw faint glimmers of light. She walked warily towards it. After traversing about half a mile, the originally faint light grew stronger until she had arrived inside.

The center of the cave was illuminated, though she couldn't figure out the source. The circulating air inside was warm which made her glad because she didn't have to worry about making a fire or contracting hypothermia and meeting another untimely death.

Besides, at this point even if she wanted to make a fire, it would just be doomed to failure. She couldn't possibly find dry wood at such a place and condition. Not to mention, it would take a really long time to make an ember or a spark manually.

Chalice flopped herself down beside a huge stalagmite. The cave was strange. It was not wet at all, though she could hear the indistinct rustling of a stream. But she too exhausted to confirm her guess.

In order to ignore her rumbling stomach, Chalice chose to just drift off to sleep. She was regretting not picking up the berries she saw along her way. All she had stuffed in her trouser pockets and pouch were herbs. She couldn't possibly eat those. She knows firsthand how unappetizing they are. She wasn't that desperate... yet. Besides, the herbs were best used as medicine rather than food.

But even before she closed her eyes, Chalice heard a pained moan. She stilled when she realized it did not come from a human.

Chalice slowly treaded to the source of the sound. Her feet brought her to another cave entrance. With just a step in, Chalice felt as if she was transported to another world... again.

The rustling stream she heard a while ago grew louder. Verdant shrubs and tall trees filtered the light from above casting a muted, and dreamy ambience in an otherwise supposedly creepy cave.

Chalice squealed like a kid. This was blessing in disguise, ah. She has stumbled upon a wonder of nature. A breath-taking discovery. It's not everyday that an isolated terrarium is found just like that. Especially one that has it's own all-natural regulated atmosphere. The barren cave outside was merely its foyer.

The pained grunts once again rang out. Chalice snapped out of her daze and looked for whatever was making it. She wasn't able to distinguish what beast it was. She treaded forward carefully until she finally saw it.

Chalice couldn't help but swallow hard as the source of the sound finally made its way into her sight. Her face paling like a sheet.

A full grown lion!

And what's more, it does not look like the typical one. As far as Chalice knows, full grown male lions typically grow around to two meters tall excluding the tail. But heck, this one is about twice that size. It was lying there but Chalice was pretty sure, once it gets up it would tower over her frame like an animated sphinx without the human face. She also thought it strange that a prairie lion is here at a cave in a fog forest.

Chalice stepped a bit more closer to see the beast. Her breath hitched. It really was not an ordinary lion. She had never seen one who had silky, golden mane and had a mark on its forehead. Well, she hadn't seen one on Earth at least.

The animal made a sound again. Chalice's eye caught sight of a ghastly wound in its forelimb and another one on it's upper rib. It was injured quite severely.

She was torn. Chalice had a weakness for adorable animals like these. However, she also knew how proud this specie was. Not to mention, how ferocious they were. She might have some skills to boast of, but they surely were not enough to deal with this big kitty.

Chalice bit her tongue.

'Noooo. I can't bear to let it be. My poor heart can't take its suffering.'

She thought. And with that, she cast all life risks aside and decided to rescue this furry friend.

Chalice walked lightly towards it. The animal seemed to notice her presence. It lifted its head. The lion's wary golden eyes met her curious emerald ones. It growled lightly, giving her a warning. Chalice stopped a meter away from it and smiled faintly.

'It seems quite intelligent. How fitting. Truly the king of the jungle.'

She sat down in front of it, took out the herbs she picked up and started crushing it. Chalice tore out the sleeves of her dress shirt and divided it to strips. The lion just watched her. It didn't seem to regard her as a threat. Either that or it is just treating her like an amusing, harmless bunny. After all, even if it was injured it could still maw her to death in seconds.

After she was done preparing the herbs and her makeshift bandages, Chalice stood up again and looked directly at the lion. She couldn't help but internally admire the intelligence glinting from its eyes. She started to talk to it as if it was just another human being.

"Hello there. I don't mean any harm. And I know you can understand what I'm saying. I saw that you were injured. I made these dressing for your wounds. I'll just put them on you and let you be after. I'm sorry for intruding in your territory. I'll leave here immediately tomorrow. I just need somewhere to pass the night away or just until the fog dissipates."

Chalice didn't move. She waited for some sort of acknowledgement from the beast. She'd rather do wait and give it a semblance of respect it than take a step more and be mauled to death.

After a long ardous while of waiting, the lion seems to have accepted her sincerity. It stood up majestically despite its limp and trudged nearer. It stopped three steps in front of her and handed its injured limb towards her.

Chalice hid her delighted smile and proceeded to put the crushed medicinal herbs unto its injuries and then bandaging it with the strips of what used to be her dress shirt. The lion whimpered vaguely when she turned to the wounds on its upper rib. It looks like it was more severe than the other.

She observed that the injuries it took were reminiscent of claw and bite marks.

'Heh. Seems like Mr. Kitty here got into a fight. Hmm. Must be territorial dispute. Wonder who won?'

Chalice thought as she busied herself in trying to make the bandages in rib stay in place. The strips she made couldn't be fastened. Who asked this great kitty to be humongous? It was as good things the herbs stuck by itself.

After she was done, Chalice moved away from the lion after bowing slightly. She walked to a tree a bit farther to where the lion was, but still within its line of sight. She figured it would let the beast rest easier if she proved she really was not a threat.

Chalice reclined at the trunk, letting her fatigue wash away her hunger and lulling her to sleep. Unaware that the particular pair of golden eyes watching her had turned considerably warmer.