And just like that, on a random morning, the peaceful vibe of our family trip shattered abruptly. It totally reminded me of that cliché phrase: the calm before the storm.
We were going through our daily camp routine, the dawn sun filtering through the trees in this big, magical forest. Mom humming while sorting a basket of my clothes, Dad and Borin securing a tarp between two trees where they expected the wind to come from, Lyra directing pure stream water into prepped clay jars, and Kael... well, Kael was probably trying to "liberate" some extra rations from the luggage. I was trying to catch some butterflies, focusing on my core, feeling that vibration humming inside me.
Then, the focused elf snapped her head up sharply, scrunching her nose in a rough, totally un-elf-like way. "Hold up, everyone... smell that?"
A strange scent started filling the air. Sweet, almost floral, but with this musky and... electric undertone. Sharp, unmistakable.
Kael popped up out of nowhere next to Lyra. "Smell it, Lyra. Been a long time... Gear up, guys. This is... Rue."
Dad and Borin froze mid-action. The tarp dropped forgotten to the ground. The relaxed expressions on both giants vanished, replaced by a steely tension I hadn't seen before. "Impossible. Not here."
"Rue?" Mom asked, her voice sounding worried as she instinctively pulled me closer to her.
"The scent of the White Tiger," Garen murmured, his eyes scanning the forest shadows. "An ancient beast, love. Dangerous. Very dangerous."
Just then, a majestic and terrifying figure emerged from between the trees. It was huge, way bigger than any cat I remembered seeing. Snow-white fur, with faint black stripes that seemed to pulse with dark energy. Its eyes were an intelligent, cruel glacier-blue. Blue sparks crackled around its claws and jaws, and the air around it was noticeably colder. Before us stood the imposing White Tiger of Rue.
"Looks like we finally get some real action!" Borin growled, planting his feet firmly and gripping his war axe (the real one, not the practice version). "This ain't your average boar."
"Rank A, minimum," Kael said quietly, his hands already on his dagger hilts. "Maybe higher."
Rank A? I seized the tense moment to ask Kael, who was closest, a quick question. "Rank... A? What... is it?"
Kael glanced at me for a split second, surprised by my question right now, but answered with knife-like speed. "Adventurer ranks, little guy. They go from F, the lowest, up to S, SS, and Legendary. Us four were a solid Rank A party." His voice was tight. "To rank up, you need achievements, pass exams: theory, practical, real combat. A Rank B is already elite, can travel almost freely between kingdoms. The Adventurer's Guild is neutral, more reliable, and often cheaper than an army for towns. That's why your dad accepting the Captain job here was a big deal."
Got it. [Fast Learner] processed the info at lightning speed. Rank A. Means they're incredibly strong, but the way they're reacting... this tiger is a serious threat even for them.
The tiger roared, a sound that vibrated my tiny bones and made the hair on my neck stand up. The air crackled.
"Elara, Lexo, behind me!" Dad ordered, drawing a sword I didn't know he had on him. The blade shimmered with a faint bluish-orange glint. Latent Fire.
"Borin, right flank, anchor!" Garen yelled.
"Lyra, range, look for openings, watch the lightning!" he added without looking at the elf.
"I'll distract!" Kael concluded, vanishing in a blur.
The battle exploded! The tiger lunged, not at Dad, but at Kael, who reappeared momentarily to throw a dagger. The tiger dodged it with impossible speed and opened its jaws—teeth flashing with blue frost! The ninja dodged back using a burst of wind to propel himself, narrowly avoiding the freezing bite.
"Take this, beastie!" Borin roared, slamming his axe into the ground. The earth trembled, and thick roots erupted, trying to snag the tiger's paws. The monster shredded them with its sparking claws, but it slowed it down for a second.
ZZZZAAP! Three crackling blue bolts shot from the tiger, aimed right at Lyra! She was already moving, sliding between trees while firing arrows. One steam-wreathed arrow intercepted a bolt, dissipating it with a hiss. Another, coated in ice, slammed into the tiger's side, making it roar in pain and fury.
Dad stepped between the tiger and us. "Your fight's with me, kitty!" he yelled, his sword erupting in orange flames. He clashed against the tiger's electric claws. CRACK! Sparks and steam filled the air. Fire versus Ice and Electricity. Dad was incredibly strong, parrying the brutal blows, but he was getting pushed back.
I watched everything from the relative safety behind Mom, whose arms wrapped protectively around me as she whispered words for a Light shield around us. My heart was pounding. This was real. Real danger. I saw the Four Greats' coordination: Borin's strength creating openings, Lyra's lethal precision, Kael's evasive, distracting agility, Dad's direct defense and offense. They were a unit.
The tiger was a force of nature. It launched homing bolts that Kael and Lyra barely dodged, its freezing jaws snapping at Borin and Dad in close combat. It was fast, powerful, and had two lethal offensive elements. Rank A. And this tiger was seriously testing them.
I felt my core vibrating, past 90% now. The tiger's wild energy, the controlled power of my parents and their friends... it all resonated inside me. I was scared, yeah, but also... fascinated. And I felt this pang of helplessness. Something was waking up inside me.