(~1,112 words — part 2)
The badge still felt strange against her chest—light, wooden, yet heavy with meaning.
Nyari stood at the guild board early the next morning, just after sunrise. The hall was mostly quiet, filled only with sleepy murmurs, a few yawning mercs, and the smell of roasted barley tea.
Her ears twitched, scanning the fluttering papers tacked to the board.
There were bounties for bandits, escort missions, supply runs, and posted warnings about monsters near the western woods. Most were marked with symbols—color-coded stars that signified rank. Red was for seasoned teams. Green for intermediate. Blue for newcomers.
She traced a clawed finger over a blue slip.
Escort Request: Lady Karis & Maid to the Inner Road Shrine
"Nobles seeking safe passage for pilgrimage. Light risk."
Payment: 15 silver, meal allowance, escort medal.
Nyari paused.
"Nobles…?"
A flicker of emotion passed across her face. In her old life, she'd only read about nobility—princesses and queens, always confident and radiant. She used to draw them. Dream of them.
She pulled the slip off the board.
"Escort," she said aloud. "Let's see if I'm worth protecting others."
🏰 The Carriage at Dawn
The job instructions led her to a cobblestone road just outside the town walls.
A sleek, cream-colored carriage waited there, hitched to a pair of white deer-like beasts with curling antlers. The emblem on the side depicted a crescent moon and feather—a noble house symbol she didn't recognize. Two guards stood by the beasts, eyeing Nyari as she approached.
"Name?" one barked.
"Nyari," she replied, holding up her badge.
The guard looked skeptical. "You're the escort?"
She nodded once.
The guard frowned. "You're barely older than the lady."
"I'm faster than both of you," she said softly, stepping past him with the grace of a breeze.
Before the guard could respond, the carriage door creaked open.
A girl stepped out—tall, elegant, perhaps seventeen, with golden braids and a flowing travel dress. A polished circlet rested on her brow. Her eyes, sharp and violet, appraised Nyari from head to toe.
Behind her, a silver-haired maid followed, adjusting the young lady's cloak.
"…You're the one they sent?" the noble girl asked, voice smooth.
Nyari nodded. "Is that a problem?"
A long pause.
Then, the noble smiled faintly. "No. I prefer small and deadly over tall and dumb."
The maid coughed lightly. "My lady—"
"It's fine, Lenna," the noble said. "If she breaks, I'll blame the guild."
She turned to Nyari again. "I'm Karis Virell. Second daughter of House Virell. This is my personal maid, Lenna. The road to the shrine is known for occasional bandits and magical disturbances. You'll ride with us. If anything happens, it's your job to get us through it alive."
Nyari simply bowed her head.
"Yes, Lady Karis."
🛤️ The Pilgrim Path
The road east led through sloping fields of violet grass and narrow mountain passes. Birds the size of dogs soared overhead. Strange flowers bloomed beside the dirt trail, some glowing faintly even in daylight.
Inside the carriage, Karis sat with her arms folded, studying Nyari like a puzzle.
"You're not from any known beastkin clans," she finally said. "Your markings—those stripes—they're too perfect. Engineered. You're not… natural."
Nyari said nothing. Her ears twitched once.
"Are you a runaway experiment?" Karis mused. "Or a secret noble weapon?"
"Neither," Nyari replied calmly. "I'm just me."
Karis tilted her head. "That sounds like something a liar would say."
Lenna shifted uncomfortably across from them. "My lady…"
But Nyari didn't flinch.
"I don't owe you my past," she said. "Only my protection."
Karis smiled a little. "I think I'm going to enjoy this escort."
⚠️ The Ambush
The trouble began just before midday.
Nyari's ears twitched. A faint breeze carried the scent of metal and unwashed cloth. The guards at the front didn't notice. Neither did the driver.
Nyari rose in the carriage.
"Stop the cart."
"What?" Karis asked.
"Now."
Before the driver could react—an arrow slammed into his shoulder.
He collapsed with a cry, reins falling.
The beasts reared. The carriage rocked violently.
"Bandits!" one of the guards shouted.
Steel clanged. Figures burst from the treeline—six in total, all masked, carrying blades and crude crossbows.
Nyari moved.
The carriage door burst open, and she shot forward in a blur of striped motion.
Her dagger appeared in her hand—formed of glowing white light.
The first bandit didn't even see her. She phased past him, her claw tapping his ribs.
Pulse. The sigil ignited. He dropped, paralyzed.
Another lunged.
She ducked low, slid beneath his swing, and sprang up behind him—tail curling as she planted a foot in his back and sent him flying into the brush.
"Gods above!" one of the bandits yelled. "She's not normal—!"
A bolt flew toward Karis's window.
Nyari turned mid-step—and caught it with her bare hand.
She didn't speak. She didn't growl.
She just blinked.
And vanished.
Three seconds later, five bandits were unconscious. The sixth was pinned to a tree, Nyari's claws at his throat.
"Who sent you?" she asked quietly.
He trembled. "N-nobles! They wanted the girl gone! Said to make it look like monsters—!"
Nyari narrowed her eyes.
She let him go. Just long enough for her dagger to hum again—and leave a second glowing sigil that knocked him unconscious mid-step.
🕯️ Aftermath
The carriage was intact. Lenna was shaken. Karis sat quietly, her face pale.
"…You stopped all of them."
Nyari nodded.
Karis stared. "…Why?"
Nyari blinked, ears flicking once.
"Because that's what an adventurer does."
Karis let out a shaky breath.
Lenna hugged her gently, whispering something.
Karis whispered back, "She's not just an adventurer. She's something else."
⛩️ The Shrine
They reached the shrine by late afternoon—an ancient structure carved into stone cliffs, filled with glowing crystal altars and flickering blue flame.
Karis prayed in silence.
Nyari stood outside, watching the clouds shift.
When the noble girl returned, she stood beside her silently.
"…You saved me," Karis said. "Not because you were paid. But because you chose to."
Nyari didn't reply.
Karis offered a small satchel. "Your payment. But I also spoke to the shrine guardian. He's submitting a letter of recommendation to the guild. Your rank will rise soon."
A beat.
"…And if I ever have need of an adventurer again… I'll ask for you personally."
Nyari smiled softly.
"I'll come."
As they rode back toward Virelow, the wind caught her hair.
She looked down at her badge again.
Not because it defined her—but because it proved something.
She belonged.
And her story was just beginning.
To be continued in Chapter Four: "Whispers of the Princess"
(Rumors spread about the tiger-striped girl who defeated six attackers alone. Someone of royal blood takes notice…)