Chapter 4

Tenaro stopped clutching his injury and looked down at his palm. The blood looked inky in the darkness, glistening where the dim moonlight managed to catch it.His eyes drifted back to the tiger. Its tail flicked, and with a slow swipe of its tongue, it licked away the crimson trickling from its nostril. A heavy wheeze rattled from its chest.

The sound echoed through the small clearing, a sign that crashing into the tree was taking its toll.

The wet ground had done its worst. Mud now clung to Tenaro's clothes, dampening the fabric and causing it to stick to his skin.

His eyebrow twitched. All that cleaning yesterday...

His shoulder throbbed, sending sharp pulses down his arm. His nostrils flared with every breath. Then, a sudden, cold breeze swept over the two fighters. It whipped Tenaro's hair and stirred the tiger's fur in the same direction, forcing a shudder from his frame.

The beast bared its teeth. It let out a snarl deep enough to vibrate the surrounding leaves.

It lunged.

Mud and grass sprayed through the air, chunks of earth splatting against the tree behind it.

Tenaro's heart pounded as every muscle tensed. But the corner of his mouth twitched into a small, knowing smile. He straightened his posture, letting his hands hang loose and relaxed by his sides.

When the tiger pounced, Tenaro simply sidestepped to the right.

The massive animal flew right past him. Its head jerked to track his movement, but its weight was already devoted to the leap.

Landing hard, the tiger skidded across the dirt in a desperate attempt to face him before it managed to find its footing.

It twisted around, glaring at him with a mix of fury and stubborn will.

It charged again. Heavy pawsteps thudded on the wet grass, yet Tenaro refused to move until the absolute last second.

He hopped back.

The tiger's left paw sliced through the empty air where he had stood a heartbeat before. Growling, it unleashed a wild barrage of swipes, claws, and snarls.

Tenaro danced through the chaos—dodging aside and jumping back—but his breath began to grow shorter.

He could hear the tiger’s wheezing grow heavier too. It was wearing itself down, its eyes turning desperate for a hit. That was when Tenaro felt it: the rough bark of another tree pressing against his back.

It worked!

The tiger gave a loud, ragged wheeze. Fed up with this human’s refusal to die, it lunged one final time.

Tenaro shifted his weight.

Slipping to the right, he felt the hot wind of the tiger's momentum rush past his skin. The beast jerked its head midair.

It tried to track him, but its body was already committed to the leap.

Tenaro surged forward.

He clamped his right hand onto the back of the tiger's head, every muscle in his arm tightening into the grip.

"Graahh!"

He drove the beast’s face into the trunk.

The tree shook under the brutal impact. A crashing thud was instantly followed by a loud, sharp crack.

Tenaro let go. His chest heaved as he gasped for air.

The tiger dropped into a motionless heap. There was no final cry. No twitch. Not even a last growl.

Just silence.

Tenaro's shoulders rose and fell as he stood over the carcass. His right arm shook from the sheer exertion. He looked down at it, shaking and stretching his hand.

A long, slow breath escaped his lips as he surveyed the fallen beast.

The breeze blew harder now, almost as if it were mourning the tiger's death. Closing his eyes, Tenaro took another deep breath and exhaled a wave of relief.

I finally get to eat.

He cracked a small smile and looked back up at the stars with relaxed eyes. He let the wind blow through his hair despite it trying to bite into his skin.