[BotB] Chapter 39
The creature in question was pure white like the snow-covered plains, and its fur shimmered with a lustrous sheen whenever it moved, indicating how soft it must be without even needing to touch it. Suddenly, a cry rang out, "It's here!" At that moment, a man fired his gun just as he screamed in terror due to a fox that had pounced on his face. With a shriek of "Aargh!" the fox quickly slashed the man's face with its claws before jumping off and lunging at another.
In the midst of the chaos, someone else shot a gun in the direction of the fox. "Ugh!" came the sound from a man who was struck by his comrade's bullet, clutching his chest as he fell. The fox darted dangerously among the men, scratching at their eyes. It was so swift that by the time they tried to grab it, the fox had already struck their faces with its hind legs and moved on to another victim. The cries of "My eyes! My eyes!" filled the air as several men, blinded and bleeding, fell to the ground, some screaming as they tumbled over the cliff's edge.
The fox then hid behind a tree, repeatedly rushing at the men who, blinded, aimed their guns at each other in their confusion. Finally, only one man remained. With a fierce cry, Sohwa, the fox, attacked him with all her might. As she raised her sharp claws to strike his face, the man managed to hit her with the butt of his rifle. With a thud, Sohwa was struck hard and collided with a tree. She tried to muster strength, but her legs wobbled and she couldn't rise in time.
The man, filled with contempt, approached and crushed her neck under his foot. Sohwa let out a strained yelp and struggled meaninglessly under the sole of his leather shoe, gasping for breath as her vision blurred. The man, with a cruel glint in his eye, said, "I'd like to cut off all your limbs right now, but then I wouldn't be able to use your beautiful fur." He rummaged through his pack and pulled out a wire used for traps, planning to bind Sohwa's muzzle and neck.
"You'll be stuffed as a trophy and presented to the noble lady." The man, akin to an evil spirit, looked down at her with a menacing gaze. Despite Sohwa's defiant clawing, it was in vain as his rough hands gripped her neck. 'At least Dohwi will be safe since only one is left,' she thought. But as the man with the wire approached, her consciousness began to fade due to suffocation.
'Dohwi must live well, away from hunters...' Sohwa regretted not speaking kind words to Dohwi before she left to fetch a precious orb, knowing she was actually a tiger. 'How lonely and hard must it have been for you all alone?' She knew as Dohwi grew, she would have to send him away, but by then, she had become too attached to the warmth he provided within their strong bond, unable to live without him.
She wished she had shown him her true feelings at least once, fearing he might leave her side first. 'I cherished you, Dohwi,' she thought as Sohwa lay dying at the hunter's hands. Suddenly, a low growl tore through the air, a sound unlike any animal, which instinctively stopped the hunter's hand. A tremendous roar followed, startling the man, who dropped Sohwa in his shock.
The man was struck by a powerful blow as he attempted to flee, his head shattering like a smashed pumpkin, and he died. Dohwi, stepping over the fallen body, scanned the area hastily. He had been delayed by following Sohwa's scent to the village and back. 'Where is she?' he wondered. Then, in the bushes, he found a small clump of white and black fur, lifeless and still.
Dohwi's heart sank as he gently nudged the fox, only to find her muzzle cruelly bound with wire. 'No, no...' In human form, his hands trembled as he unwound the wire, fearing that his beloved fox might be dead. The thought of her vanishing from his side was unbearable; he could see nothing but Sohwa.
Fortunately, a faint pulse remained, but Sohwa was barely breathing and couldn't open her eyes, her death seemingly imminent. In desperation, Dohwi held her neck, opened her muzzle, and from his lips emerged a glowing red pearl—a pearl stolen from a dragon. He placed the pearl into Sohwa's mouth, which she swallowed with difficulty.
The fate of Sohwa now lay in the heavens. Dohwi, transformed back into a tiger, gently carried her in his mouth as he began to run. Their journey home was arduous, but it was to their precious sanctuary that Dohwi returned with Sohwa.
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