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Krysha was sitting in Ike's comfortable armchair with one leg crossed over the other and her arms crossed on her chest. Her gaze rested on the window as a soft breeze came in, airing the room. The window Kodu was forbidden to get any close to. From her position, she could see the night sky, full of little purple stars, and far away, a little crescent moon of a paler colour. Lykans' sky.

Inevitably, she asked herself where Ike would be at that moment.

Several months had passed since the lion had left the palace of the Embertooth and had started the journey the tigress was so uncertain about. Not only because she believed that it was practically impossible that the lion would find any detail about the arctic fox's past life, but also because she did not trust how easily Alekay had agreed to it. On the other paw, it was not precisely an easy journey, and Krysha knew that Ike could count himself lucky if he just returned alive.

And luck was precisely what they had lacked in the last days.

First, Ike had mysteriously disappeared overnight without exiting his room. For weeks, Krysha had gone mad trying to find the person behind the kidnapping, with all the eyes in the kingdom watching her. However, a few months after she had to stop looking for him, since she herself had been kidnapped and taken to the Box. There, Ike had managed to hold some kind of truce with the kane... and, at least, consequences had not been fatal. Krysha wondered if the lion could do the same in Lykans, once he became the king. But, given the last events, she was starting to doubt her protegé would live until his own coronation.

She shook her head, trying to get rid of those thoughts, and rubbed her temple. In the last days, she had started to suffer from an annoying headache, possibly due to the fact that she had been enclosed in the tower for too much time. Koi's constant whining did not help either.

The little husky had constantly tried to convince the tigress to let him out of the tower, through all kinds of means. He had begged and cried so that Krysha allowed him to leave the tower, all in vain. Those last days he had started to use a new strategy, telling her that he was sick and that he needed to go out in order to get some fresh air. From that moment, the tigress kept the window open all the time, but kept Koi away. She knew that it was not a good idea to keep a young, energetic kane trapped for so long, but she was aware that if something happened to the cub, Ike would never forget her.

As for Zèon... the arctic fox was still lying on bed, deep in his unconsciousness, and without moving a single muscle. Krysha had been feeding him in any way possible, grinding the food that the servants brought them and tossing it until it was a half-liquid paste that the arctic fox could swallow easily, even being unconscious. However, a few days ago, the tigress had noticed the arctic fox's breathing getting weaker, and she was starting to think that it would get worse if the lion did not hurry up.

<<You stupid lion>> she thought, gazing at the stars <<Where the hell are you?>>

It was Rohm who decided, as soon as night fell, to deviate slightly from their route and spend the night in an inn that stood not far from there. The group soon followed the panther's steps, but Ike could not help but feel a bit uncomfortable with the idea.

'I'm not sure. What if someone recognizes us?'

'Well. If someone asks, you can always say you are Sandmanes, instead of Embertooths,' the other fehlar replied, shrugging.

Ike did not say anything. He had nothing against being recognized in his journey, but he was well aware that his father would not tolerate it. If his journey became public, people would start to wonder why the heir to the throne spent so much time out of the palace lately... and rumours were not friends of the crown, Ike knew that well. His father would not allow any kind of transparency and, taking into account that Zèon's life was in his paws, Ike could not help but feel a bit uneasy.

'Sandmanes? That sounds like fun!' Kathreen replied with evident enthusiasm, however. 'Besides, it'll be great to sleep in a bed for the first time in weeks. Spending nights in the open air is putting all of us in a bad mood.'

Ike had to agree with her, but he knew that the reason why tensions had been increasing in the group were quite different. Since they had left behind the corpses of those kane, Atha would not stop looking at him in an unfriendly manner and Ike did the same whenever he could. He did not want to cause a rift between himself and the other members of the group because he knew that would only bring problems, but at the same time he could not stand the boastful and degrading way in which the leopard talked about the kane. Besides, he was starting to think that Rohm shared that opinion, even though he did not show it as indiscreetly as the other fehlar. And as for his sister...

He sighed, shaking his head. Kodu gave him a worried look, but did not say anything.

As soon as he walked through the inn's door, a wave of heat washed over his body, dissipating for a second all the tensions that had accumulated during the journey. <<Maybe Rohm and Kathreen are right>> the lion thought, relaxing a bit. <<Maybe this is what we need>>.

The five of them sat around a table in one of the corners of the room. Ike took a seat with Kodu and his sister on one side of the table, while the two guides sat in front of them.

'Well!' Atha asked then, apparently very excited, as he patted the table enthusiastically. 'What are we going to drink then?'

Kathreen raised an eyebrow.

'Drink?' Ike repeated, stupidly.

Atha gave him a mocking look, without losing his smile.

'Yes, if you know what that is. Although a glass of milk is what would match your wimpy attitude.'

Ike frowned, hurt.

'Atha, leave him alone,' Rohm intervened with a serious tone, causing the leopard to groan in protest. 'Anyone can drink whatever he or she wants. Be it milk or beer.'

The lion gave him a thankful look, but the panther was not even looking at him at that moment.

'That beer sounds good,' Kathreen purred, smiling.

Ike smiled too. His father never allowed his sister to drink any alcoholic drink in the palace. Since his mother had died years ago, Kathreen was the only woman in the house and, as such, she was supposed to give an image of correctness and serenity that his father never did not when there were any guests in their palace.

However, Ike knew that her sister's attitude was anything but serene or correct.

'I'll have one too,' Kody intervened, bringing the lion back to reality.

'Atha?' Rohm asked, turning to the leopard.

'Beer is good for girls... and cats,' the leopard answered, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms. 'Bring me a mug of dakhar so I can start the night on the right foot.'

Rohm nodded, turning his gaze to Ike, who hesitated for a few seconds.

'The... the same for me,' he finally said.

He had never tasted dakhar before and, to be honest, he did not even know what it was. However, after seeing how that arrogant leopard had been treating him, he needed to find a way to restore his wounded pride and show him that he was not as "wimpy" as he believed.

Rohm raised an eyebrow, surprised, and Atha did not miss the chance to give him another mocking glance.

'You're so brave, Ali,' Kathreen whispered to him, giggling.

Ike gulped and started to wonder if he had not taken the wrong decision. His fears were confirmed when he saw that Rohm was coming back from the bar bringing three mugs of beer and only two of that transparent liquid, which had a strange reddish colour.

'Rohm, Rohm, Rohm. You disappoint me,' Atha mentioned mockingly once he saw the panther had also decided to drink a beer.

'We are not so different from cats, after all,' he said, giving Kodu a conciliatory look. 'Besides, not all of us have your resistance. Someone will have to remain sober in case something happens.'

'Excuses!' the leopard grumbled, smiling.

Rohm ignored the last comment and sat down again. Ike, meanwhile, was starting to regret his decision. Not only because beer looked way nicer, but because now that he knew not even the panther had dared drinking that dakhar he was too afraid it might be too strong for him.

'Hey, you!' Atha called him then, from the other side of the table. 'What are you waiting for? An invitation?'

Ike noticed that Kathreen, Kodu and Rohm had already started to drink. The leopard, meanwhile, was staring at him with a frown. It took Ike a few seconds to understand what he wanted.

'Oh...' he murmured, still a bit confused, as he took his mug and raised it in the air.

Atha smiled with satisfaction. The violent toast that followed caused some of the drink to spill over the table and Ike's paw.

'No suspicions this way, huh?' the leopard joked. 'Cheers.'

And after that, he drank from his mug for a few seconds, before leaving it on the table with a pleasured sigh and drumming with his fingers on its surface.

Still a bit scared, Ike did the same and moved the mug closer to his muzzle, containing a shiver. The first sip took away all his worries for a second, since it did not taste as bad as he had imagined; however, only a second after, he felt a river of fire going down his throat and burning him from inside. He could not help but cough violently.

'Ha, ha, ha! I could see that coming,' Atha laughed, visibly satisfied. 'Someone should try to find out which are his limits.'

Ike wanted to answer something, but the alcohol seemed to have scalded his throat and he could not vocalize a single sound. He noticed then out of the corner of his eye that Kodu was offering his drink and he did not hesitate to take it and drink eagerly. The lion let out a sigh when the cold beer went down his throat, soothing the burning sensation.

'As I said: girls and cats' the leopard repeated, drinking again from his dakhar.

<<Why can he drink it so lightly?>> Ike asked himself, surprised <<Does he have a stone-hard digestive system?>> However, beyond curiosity, the anger and impotence burned inside him. He stood up and put on his cape, walking towards the door.

'Where are you going?' Kodu asked, a bit worried.

'To take some fresh air' the lion answered, grumpy.

He left the room as quickly as he could, but he still listened behind him how the leopard laughed again and mentioned that some were "sore losers". Furious and with his pride wounded, the lion's paws tightened so hard around the door's border that his claws were about to sink in the wood as he left the inn.

Once he was outside, under the purple stars of Lykans' sky, he felt much better. He took a deep breath of fresh air and closed his eyes, trying to relax. He was aware that he would not gain anything by confronting his guide like that and that any unnecessary tension in the group would only bring problems. It was already difficult enough to travel with his sister. He did not want to worry about the leopard on top of that.

However, he could not stand it. Atha's attitude painfully reminded him of so many other fehlars, his own father included, and he could not ignore it. It was that attitude that had started the massacre; or maybe it had emerged from it, Ike was not totally sure anymore. If they wanted to create a new world far from the violence between both races, that attitude had to disappear...

<<But it never will>> he understood, sad <<There will always be fehlar that think they have the right to step on the kane just for being different. It doesn't matter how much I try. It's useless>>.

He sighed. If not even him, the heir to the fehlar throne, could change everything, who would? Maybe things were not supposed to change after all. Maybe the kane were definitely destined to perish under the fehlar yoke.

He shook his hea. <<No>> he told himself <<There must be something I can do... and even if it doesn't work, I must keep trying. I can't give up>>.

With a sad smile, the lion remembered how, many years before, he had made that promise to himself. He had decided that he would change things, that he would get both races to coexist peacefully, somehow. He had been clinging to that promise for so many years that he could not let go now, or everything he had done would have been for nothing. His father's screams, the beatings, the rumours in the palace, the dangers he had went through... and what his sister had done... everything would be meaningless if he gave up now.

He breathed in deeply again and then out, taking his decision. Maybe he would have to face a fool like Atha from time to time, but he was willing to bear with it. He had been through worse times. He could keep trying.

With that thought in his mind, he decided to walk in again, after giving a last glance at the stars. He decided to be patient and, as the warmth of the inn received him again, he walked towards his table.

The scene he found there was bleak, to say the least.

His sister had taken off her doublet and was now wearing only a short shirt, sitting next to Atha, with evident interest in what the leopard was saying at that moment. Rohm was listening with a slight grin on his face, while Kodu remained impassible. It looked like the leopard was telling some kind of story, judging by everyone's silence. However, the thing that really worried the lion was the alarming number of empty mugs that had appeared in the table since the last time he had been there.

'...so, as we were waiting there...' Atha stopped in the middle of his story once he noticed Ike was there. 'Oh. Look who came back. Is the cat feeling any better now?'

Ike felt again the impulse to reply with some insult that doubtlessly that bully would deserve. However, he reminded himself that he had decided to tolerate the leopard as much as he could and let out a sigh.

'Yes, a lot better' he answered, giving him a faint smile and sitting next to Kodu.

<<If he sees that it doesn't affect me, maybe he will stop doing it>> he thought, hopeful.

And Atha's expression seemed to change slightly indeed once he perceived the calm with which the lion had answered. He relaxed on his chair, crossing his arms and fixing his eyes on his drink again.

'Atha was telling us a very interesting story about a campaign they were recruited for in the Hawthorn Woods,' Kathreen informed him, almost in a purr, as he gaze intensely at the leopard.

Ike raised an eyebrow, wondering what kind of game his sister was playing. Meanwhile, Atha smiled proudly and started to talk again, looking at the lion.

'Yes. But I'm afraid it could be too much emotion for some.'

'Oh, don't worry about me,' Ike replied, waving a paw. 'I'm sure I can stand it.'

Again, the leopard seemed surprised, but didn't say anything. Instead, he just leaned on his seat again and cleared his throat.

'Where was I... oh, yes! So, we had surrounded the refugee camp from all sides and our garrison was settled in strategic points. However, captain Ahanuk knew the kane had seen us, and that as soon as our group advanced, they would find a way out or try a desperate attack. We had already took too many casualties in that campaign and the captain refused to lose another single man. Let alone,' he added, glancing at Ike again 'at hands of that canine trash.'

Kodu gave Ike a short look too, as if he was expecting him to explode, but Ike just nodded and kept listening. <<It is not so terrible after all>> he told himself, drinking a little sip from his mug, enough to feel the warmth without burning his throat. <<It's like listening to my father>>.

'Everyone knows that when the kane feel cornered they attack suicidally,' Rohm reasoned, agreeing with the leopard.

'True. That's why a frontal attack would be a terrible idea,' Atha continued, his voice slow and thick. It seemed obvious he had drunk too much 'So Ahanuk reunited with some of us and, after talking about it for a while, we found the perfect solution.' A wide grin appeared in the leopards face. 'We had to burn it all.'

'Burn it all?' Kodu replied, stunned.

'Exactly! You know that the region of the Hawthorn Woods is rather arid during summer. And when the mud dries...'

'Wait' Ike interrupted him, with a terrible feeling, as a far memory came to his mind. 'The Hawthorn Woods? You burned the refugee camp in the Hawthorn Woods?'

If he was not mistaken, that was where Zèon had survived for a few years with Luca. The arctic fox did not like to talk about it, but Ike had managed to find out thas little detail. Obviously, the fox had not told him anything else about the location of the camp; that would have been, in Zèon's opinion, a major blunder. After all, he was still Alekai's son.

'...yes,' Atha replied, looking at the lion as if he was stupid. 'That's where we were talking about.'

'When did that happen?'

The leopard shrugged.

'A year ago, maybe a bit before. Why? Did you have some friend there?

Ike did not answer, but a flash of anger went through his eyes. If what Atha was telling was true, then all the kane with whom Zèon and Luca had lived, including the wolf's family, would be dead by now.

Kathreen seemed to feel the hatred burning in his brother's face and intervened.

'Come on, come on. No one has kane friends. Not even my brother, as weird as he might be,' she added, shooting him a warning glance as if she was ordering him to stay silent.

'Right. And even if I had them, I know someone would make sure to fix that,' Ike replied, looking at his sister with hatred.

Kathreen gave him a charming smile.

'You can bet I would.'

The lion had to make a big effort not to hit his sister, but he finally managed to contain himself and took a deep breath, closing his eyes. He repeated to himself, over and over, that it had happened many years ago and that he did not have to unbury it again. Besides, he was travelling for Zèon.

He had to endure that. Even though his sister's stupid smile did not make it easy.

'We could hear the screams for hours,' Atha continued, meanwhile. 'The smoke that rose from the camp was so black that it darkened the skies for days. It was one of the best purges I have ever seen.'

<<Purges>> the lion thought, clenching his fists. <<Of course. That's how they call them>>.

Unable to stand that situation any longer, he stood up again, startling Kodu.

'What is it? Do you need some fresh air again?' Atha joked, laughing.

Ike gave him an enraged gaze and just managed to contain himself at the last second.

'No. I had already heard some stories about Ahanuk. My father holds him in high regard, you know?' He paused for a moment. 'It is such a shame that no one remembers mercenaries like you. After all, you are just that. Pawns that we buy to make the dirty work. I bet they did not even tell you what this journey was about, right?'

The leopard's smile froze on his face. Ike however, felt much better after seeing the effect that his comment had on both mercenaries. He had tried to prevent any confrontation until then but he was not going to let them intimidate him.

'Be careful, lion,' was all that Atha said, after a few seconds. He was looking at him in a distrusting manner, squinting.

Ike held his gaze, wondering if the leopard would dare do something. After all, and even though they were in the middle of nowhere, Ike was still Alekai's son. Finally, he decided that he could not and did not want to know.

'I'm going to my room,' he said, with a tired voice. 'I've had enough for today.'

That said, he walked towards the stairs in the corner of the room, turning away from the four fehlar. Kodu gave him a worried look, while the other three returned to their cheerful conversation. Ike could even see her sister leaning on Atha again, what made him guess that the lioness was not willing to sleep alone that night.

Once he had closed the door behind his back and slumped in the mattress he felt much better. It was not a particularly comfortable bed, but after sleeping out in the open all those nights, the nice sensation of a mattress under his body was about to make him sigh.

As the effect of the dakhar and the accumulated fatigue made him feel slightly dizzy, he closed his eyes and fell in a deeper, more comforting sleep that he could have dreamt of during those last days.