Taming the Beast World with a Frying Pan-Chapter 190: Catch of the Day

When Ren finally dragged her muddy, defeated body back to the Violet Rain-Caller plant, Viper was already there.

He looked her up and down.

"You did not find any herbs," Viper stated.

"I was trying to catch a pig," Ren sighed, gesturing vaguely at her wool dress, which was now more ’mud-caked brown’ than ’sheep grey’. "As you can see, I didn’t catch the pig."

"Apparently, in the Beast World, ham runs faster than cheetahs," Ren added under her breath.

She wiped a smudge of dirt from her cheek.

"I need something with high protein," Ren explained, her voice frantic. "Syris and Kael need to heal. I tried hunting for myself, but... well, nature humbled me."

Viper nodded, unbothered by her failure.

"Do not worry," Viper hissed smoothly. "I was successful. I found a wounded big bird you can use."

Ren’s face lit up. "You did? Oh, Viper! You are an employee of the month! A gold star for you!"

She smiled in sheer relief. "Where is it?"

Viper pointed a clawed finger toward a large heap behind a fern.

Ren followed his finger. Her smile froze. Then, it slid off her face like a fried egg off a non-stick pan.

Lying on the ground, battered, bloody, and barely breathing, was a large Golden Eagle.

Ren recognized the feather pattern instantly. She recognized the specific shade of gold that shimmered even under the dirt.

It was Altair. It was Bird Chad.

Ren went pale. All the blood drained from her face, leaving her looking like a ghost.

’Oh my god,’ Ren thought, horror gripping her throat. ’It must be the bounty hunters. They found him.’

Guilt crashed into her like a freight train. She had been so angry that he left without saying anything that she hadn’t considered any other possibilities.

Ren rushed over to the bird, dropping to her knees.

"Hey," she whispered, her voice trembling. "Hey, wake up."

She reached out, caressing the matted feathers on his neck. Her eyes welled up, tears threatening to spill over.

Viper watched her, furrowing his brows.

’What is she doing?’ Viper wondered. ’Is this how she prepares the meat? Does crying over the food add flavor? Should I...do it too?’

He had seen her do all sorts of strange things. Maybe this was a special ritual she had to do when the catch is good.

"Where did you find him?" Ren choked out, not looking up.

"By the corpse of an Ox Beastman," Viper reported faithfully. "The bird defeated him. It looked like it was a brutal fight."

Ren’s heart sank. ’An Ox. Definitely a bounty hunter.’ Her suspicions were confirmed. They were already here.

"He is strong," Viper added, trying to be helpful. "But do not worry about killing it yourself. It is breathing very shallowly. It is going to die soon."

Ren whipped her head around to look at him, horror written all over her face.

"What?!" Ren screeched.

"Freshly dead is best," Viper explained.

"He is not going to die!" Ren yelled, panic seizing her chest.

She turned back to the bird, shaking him gently.

"Don’t you dare die on me," Ren sobbed, shaking him harder. "Wake up! Cry! You need to cry!"

She remembered that his tears had healed her ankle instantly. Surely, if he cried, he could heal himself?

Viper stared at her, utterly baffled.

’She is shaking the food,’ Viper analyzed. ’Does she like the bird? Does she hate the bird? Why is she weeping? Is she that hungry?’

He stepped forward cautiously.

"If... if you do not like this bird," Viper offered slowly, "I can find another. Maybe this one is too battered. Too ugly. I know females prefer pretty things."

"NO!"

Ren threw her arms over the eagle’s neck protectively, glaring at Viper through her tears.

"We are keeping him!" Ren snapped. "We need to get... him.... to the tree. Now. Immediately."

She stood up, wiping her face aggressively. She couldn’t tell Viper that this was a Prince. She couldn’t tell him it was a Beastman. Viper was loyal to Syris. If he thought this bird was a rival male, he might finish the job right here.

"Kael and Syris are waiting," Ren said, her voice shaking but determined. "We take the bird to the tree. I will figure something out once we are all under one roof."

Viper didn’t argue. They needed to hurry to his King after all.

He reached down and hoisted the massive eagle onto his back again.

"Careful!" Ren yelped, wincing as Altair’s head lolled. "Be gentle! Support the neck!"

Viper paused. He adjusted his grip, holding the bird with the reverence one might show a newborn.

’She doesn’t want it to get tossed around too much that it gets too ugly to eat,’ Viper noted. ’I should be careful.’

"Let us go," Viper hissed.

They began the trek back to the Fox’s den.

But the walk was not peaceful.

Ren’s eyes were darting around like pinballs. She scanned every bush. She stared at every shadow.

Snap.

A twig broke under Viper’s foot.

Ren jumped three feet in the air, spinning around with her fists raised.

"Who’s there?!" she shouted at a fern.

Viper stopped, looking at the fern, then at her.

"It was my foot," Viper said dryly.

"Oh." Ren lowered her hands, her chest heaving. "Right. Good."

She turned back around, but her shoulders remained up by her ears. She was vibrating with tension. Her breath hitched at the sound of the wind. She flinched when a butterfly flew too close.

She was ridiculously on edge.

Viper noticed her unease.

"Do not worry," Viper reassured her, assuming her anxiety was for the Snake King. "We are almost at the tree."

"Right," Ren muttered, biting her thumbnail.

She was worried about Kael and Syris, yes. But she was far more concerned about the eyes her paranoia insisted were watching them.

’The Ox was just one,’ Ren’s mind whispered. ’There are more. They are out there. Watching.’

She looked at the unconscious bird on Viper’s back.

[System: Ding! Would you like to add ’Bounty Hunters’ to your ’List of Imminent Dooms’?]

Ren sighed, a sound of pure exhaustion.

"Might as well," she muttered to the air.

"Let’s go," Ren told Viper. "Walk faster."