All Chapters of Beast Empire: Chapter 11
- Chapter 20
24 chapters
Beyond Reach
The forest closed around Marlin as he walked deeper into the darkness, Lila's body cradled carefully in his arms. The burning cottage fell away behind him, its orange glow fading to a distant memory between the black trunks of the Ashspires.Tracking Ethan was easy. Panic leaves clear signs for those who know how to read them. A torn thread caught on a thornbush. A heel scrape with the wet shine of fresh-turned earth. The bent grass still slowly rising back into position. A small handprint on an Ashspire root that a boy had grabbed to keep from sliding.Marlin followed the trail with steady purpose, moving like water down an old channel, not rushing, not drifting, but at a pace that keeps a heart steady and eyes sharp. He shifted Lila's weight carefully, ensuring her head rested against his shoulder as if she were merely sleeping.The tracks grew more erratic the deeper he went. Here, Ethan had stumbled. There, he'd stopped probably to catch his breath or get his bearings. The pattern
Farewell
They worked in silence under the watching moons.Marlin carried Lila with infinite care, her body cradled against his chest as he walked through the forest. Ethan followed behind, the fox kit tucked inside his shirt where it pressed against his heart, seeking warmth and comfort.When Marlin returned for the silver fox, the mother who had died protecting her young, Ethan saw his father's expression shift. The animal was heavy, larger than expected. Another mother. Another protector. Another life given for love.They found a place beside the river where the two moons reflected off the water like scattered silver coins. The view stretched peaceful and endless water flowing eternally toward the sea, stars watching from above. It was beautiful. Lila would have loved it.The digging took time. The ground was soft near the water, but it still required effort and patience. Father and son worked side by side, Marlin with strong, steady strokes, Ethan with smaller, determined movements. The fox
New Beginning
Marlin led them deeper into the wilderness as the morning sun climbed higher through the canopy. His eyes constantly scanned the forest reading bark for claw marks, checking the ground for tracks, testing the air for the musky scent of large predators.Ethan followed in silence, too exhausted and grief-stricken to ask where they were going. Ember remained tucked inside his shirt, the kit's warmth a small comfort against his chest.After hours of walking, Marlin finally stopped in a sheltered clearing surrounded by thick Ashspires. The ancient trees formed a natural barrier, their massive trunks creating a protected space. A small stream burbled nearby, its water clear and cold. Most importantly, the area showed no signs of dangerous creatures."Here," Marlin said, surveying the space with approval. "This will do.""We're staying?" Ethan's voice was rough from crying and lack of sleep."Yes. This will be our home now." Marlin's tone was matter-of-fact. "No thornback bear markings, no sh
The King's Concern
Two days later, in the royal palace of Valdris...King Aldwin Brightward sat in his private study, reviewing reports in the afternoon light. Documents covered his desk—trade agreements, border disputes, grain shipments. The usual work of running a kingdom."Why did you come here?" he asked suddenly, not looking up from his papers.A figure appeared from the shadows near the bookshelf. His envoy, covered in dust from the road."Your Majesty," the envoy said, his voice controlled. "The situation in Seabreeze has become complicated."The king put down his pen. "Complicated how?"Before the envoy could answer, the study door burst open. The envoy vanished back into the shadows immediately.A small figure ran toward the king Princess Ana Brightward, fourteen years old and the king's only daughter. Her personal maid, Elena, followed close behind, slightly out of breath."Father! Father!" Ana called out excitedly, holding a thick book against her chest. "I found something amazing in the anci
Carrying the Weight
It had been a week since they buried Lila, and Ethan still woke up crying.Every morning brought the same cruel moment: a few seconds of forgetting where he was, why everything felt wrong. Then reality would crash back. His mother's blood on his hands. Her final words. The way she'd looked at him beforeHe could never finish that thought.Marlin didn't let him stay in the darkness. "Up," his father said every dawn without fail. "We have work to do."Work. As if anything mattered. As if the world hadn't ended a week ago.But Ethan got up anyway, because what else could he do? His mother had given her life so he could live. The least he could do was try."You need to remember the basics," Marlin said one morning, his voice cutting through the fog in Ethan's head. "I taught you tracking when you were eight. Finding water. Reading signs. But now your life depends on it. So we review everything."Ethan wanted to say he remembered. Wanted to say he wasn't a child anymore. But maybe grief had
The Training
The training began in earnest when Ethan turned fifteen and a half."Your body is ready now," Marlin said one morning, settling across from Ethan by their fire. "And your mind, while still carrying grief, is stable enough to focus. It's time to start strengthening your healing power."Ethan looked at his right hand still bare, still seemingly powerless. "How?""Meditation first. You need to understand the flow of magic inside you before you can control it." Marlin's expression was serious. "Your healing power is weak not because it doesn't exist, but because you don't know how to reach it properly. The death magic in your left hand is loud and overwhelming. You need to learn to listen past it."Over the following weeks, Marlin taught Ethan techniques he'd never learned before. They would sit in silence for hours, Ethan with his eyes closed, focusing inward."Feel the energy in your body," Marlin instructed. "Don't force it. Just observe. Where does it pool? Where does it flow?"At firs
The Breaking Point
The night deepened, and still Marlin did not return.Ethan sat by the dying fire, Ember pressed against his side. Every sound made him look up hoping to see his father's silhouette emerging from the trees. But the forest remained empty except for the usual night creatures, and even they seemed subdued."He said he'd be back by nightfall," Ethan whispered to Ember. The fox looked up at him with worried eyes, sensing his distress.When the twin moons reached their peak and began their descent, Ethan made his decision. His father's words echoed in his mind stay here, don't follow but the promise felt meaningless now. Something was wrong. Every instinct screamed it.He pulled on the hooded cloak his father had made for him months ago, designed to hide his horn if they ever needed to travel near settlements. The fabric was thick and warm, the hood deep enough to shadow his face completely."Come on, Ember," he said quietly. "We're going to find him."They left the shelter, Ethan carrying n
Awakening of Death
Ethan knelt beside his father's cold body, shaking him gently at first, then harder."Da, please. Wake up." His voice cracked. "We need to go home."Nothing. Just the soft rushing of the river and the whisper of wind through the trees."Remember what you and Ma always said?" Ethan forced his lips into a smile even as tears streamed down his face. "Always smile, no matter what. See? I'm smiling, Da."The smile felt like broken glass cutting into his cheeks, but he held it."You promised you'd never leave me alone," he whispered.Still nothing. Just cold flesh and the metallic smell of old blood.Time stretched. Ethan held his father's body and begged the universe to undo what had been done.But the universe remained silent.Slowly, something began to change.The grief inside Ethan's chest transformed. It condensed, compressed into something denser, hotter, more dangerous. The pressure built until it felt like his r
The Message in the Dirt
The shape stood there, small and trembling, holding the black glove in its mouth.As Ethan drew closer, his blurred crimson vision finally recognised what he was looking at.Silver fur. Amber's eyes were wide with fear, but refusing to flee. The small body is shaking violently.Ember.She had retrieved the glove from the river. Somehow, impossibly, she had found it in the dark water and brought it here to him.The death aura pulsed around Ethan, killing everything it touched. Grass withered beneath Ember's paws. She whimpered softly, her legs beginning to buckle as the aura drained her life.But she didn't run. She stayed, holding out the glove like an offering.Something cracked inside Ethan's chest.The red in his vision flickered. Blue fought its way back for just a moment."Ember," he choked out, the first clear word he'd spoken since his mind shattered.His legs gave out, and he fell to his knees. His right hand reached out, catching Ember before she collapsed. His left hand, tre
The First Step
The shelter looked smaller than Ethan remembered.He stood at the entrance, unable to make himself step inside. The moss bedding was still there. His father's hunting knife hangs from a branch. The fire pit with its carefully arranged stones.Everything exactly as they'd left it.His throat closed up. He couldn't breathe.This was where Da had taught him to skin rabbits. Where they'd eaten meals together in comfortable silence. Where Marlin had shown him how to meditate, how to reach for the healing warmth in his chest.Gone. All of it is gone.Ethan grabbed what he could carry waterskin, a knife, a small pouch of dried herbs and turned away. He couldn't look at it anymore. Couldn't stand in this place that still smelled like his father and pretend any of it mattered."Goodbye," he whispered.The word felt like swallowing glass.Walk. Just walk.One foot in front of the other. Don't think about the shelter. Don't think about the graves by the river. Don't think about Seabreeze.Don't