Taming Beasts in a Ruined World

Night fell quietly over Amestris City. In a narrow backstreet, a small, weather-worn house stood apart from the bustling districts. The moonlight spilled through broken shutters, catching on dust and shadow.

Inside, two figures moved softly.

"Why are we hiding in this place?" Carmilla wrinkled her nose, the musty air offending her sharp senses. Her golden eyes glimmered faintly in the dim light.

"The Thunder Spirit Beast's egg has begun to change," Mia replied, her expression composed but her tone edged with tension.

The shadow beneath Mia's feet rippled like liquid ink. From it emerged a faint violet glow, and a moment later, a beast egg the size of a human head slowly rose into view. Lightning flickered faintly across its shell.

Carmilla leaned closer, her fangs glinting. "It's about to hatch, isn't it?"

Her excitement was almost childlike. Since she could no longer drink the blood of the Awakened, the idea of tasting the essence of a spirit beast was a temptation too strong to hide.

"Put away your ridiculous thoughts," Mia said flatly, lifting the egg carefully into her hands. "If you try to drink from this, it will die before it ever draws breath."

"Ridiculous?" Carmilla's voice froze, her expression stiffening. A vein pulsed on her temple.

"Smelly Catwoman," she growled through her teeth. "Say that again, and I might forget my restraint."

Mia's crimson eyes flicked up, calm and cold. "Next time you sneak over in the middle of the night, I'll break those little vampire teeth of yours."

They had been hiding in Amestris for several days now, taking turns to watch the night. But Carmilla's hunger was difficult to control, and one evening she had tried to drink from Mia while the cat-eared girl slept.

The attempt had ended with Carmilla being firmly—and painfully—disciplined.

"I'll get you back one day," Carmilla muttered, puffing her cheeks in childish frustration. She crossed her arms and sat on a creaking chair.

"I'm sure you'll try," Mia said dryly, lowering the beast egg back into the shadow.

Carmilla glanced down. "You always keep it in there. Aren't you afraid it'll suffocate?"

"I've left a gap. There's air inside." Mia's voice was calm, her focus unshaken.

"Boring." Carmilla sighed dramatically. After a long silence, she added, "So how long are we supposed to stay in this city?"

"Five more days," Mia answered. "If no word comes, we move to the next city."

She had been waiting for the intelligence dealer to bring news—any clue of her little sister's whereabouts.

"Five more days?" Carmilla frowned. "Those orcs with their cursed noses will find us before then."

"It will take at least that long to hear back from the spies around Amestris," Mia said. "If the man who rides the beast appears nearby, they'll send word."

Carmilla groaned. "Fine. Five days."

Mia studied her quietly, then said, "You can leave first, if you like. I'll follow once I have the information."

"No." Carmilla shook her head immediately. "I'd rather die of boredom than wander alone." She looked away and added softly, "Besides, without me, you wouldn't last three days against those orc hunters."

Mia didn't argue. They both knew it was true.

"When I find my sister," Mia said quietly, "I'll take you to the Oasis."

Carmilla folded her arms again, lips curling in skepticism. "You've been saying that for over a year now. We've left Orleans City, crossed three borders, and I've yet to see this mysterious Oasis you keep promising."

"The Oasis isn't near," Mia said simply.

She didn't add that entry into the Oasis required a year of trials and observation—tests of strength, will, and loyalty. Traveling with Carmilla, hunted and tested every step, was part of that trial.

"You expect me to believe that?" Carmilla's golden eyes narrowed. "Feels like we've been walking in circles. We're even headed back toward Wankulin, near Orleans again."

"I'm not circling," Mia replied, her gaze distant. "I'm returning to find my sister."

She had stolen the Thunder Spirit Beast egg to justify this journey. Without it, the Oasis would have sent her elsewhere—farther from home, farther from the girl she needed to find.

Carmilla opened her mouth to argue, but Mia's sudden glance silenced her.

"She'll be fine," Mia said softly, as if reassuring herself as much as Carmilla.

"Yes," Carmilla nodded quickly. "Of course she will."

She decided not to push further; the last time she had provoked Mia during a mood like this, she'd ended up with bruised wings.

Then Mia's expression changed. Her ears twitched. "They're here."

The air tightened.

"What—?" Carmilla began, but before she could finish, Mia seized her arm and leapt through the open window.

The night erupted.

Boom!

The small house exploded into splinters. Dust and smoke billowed as three massive figures emerged from the ruins—orcish warriors, each towering over two meters tall.

A lion-headed orc stepped forward, his mane bristling, golden eyes gleaming with fury. "Found you at last, thieves."

Mia and Carmilla landed lightly in the alleyway, only to find themselves surrounded. A wolf-headed orc blocked the path behind, and a hulking bear-headed brute stood to the side, his massive frame nearly filling the street.

"You dare stir trouble in Amestris City?" Carmilla hissed.

"Hand over the Thunder Spirit Beast egg," the lion-headed orc snarled, his fangs flashing. "Do that, and we might let you crawl away."

Carmilla glanced at Mia and whispered, "Maybe we should give it to them."

"No." Mia's refusal was sharp.

The lion-headed orc laughed harshly. "Then we'll drag you back to Ten Thousand Demons City and pry the Oasis's location from your corpse."

He raised his hand. Ten sharp claws extended, glinting like polished steel under the moonlight.

Mia's shadow stirred beneath her feet, dark tendrils rippling outward like reaching hands. She leaned close to Carmilla and whispered, "When I give the word, fly."

"What about you?" Carmilla's voice trembled slightly.

"I'll follow right after."

"Fine." Carmilla spread her pale wings, the moonlight catching on their thin membranes. Her eyes shone with determination.

The orcs tensed, ready to strike.

Then a deep voice rolled across the alley, echoing from every direction.

"Would you all mind not destroying my city?"

The sound froze them.

"Who's there?" the lion-headed orc barked.

"I am," came the calm reply.

A figure appeared on the eaves of a nearby building, seated casually with one leg hanging over the edge. He wore a gray beast-hide robe and a fur-lined hat, his face marked by an X-shaped scar across his left cheek.

Recognition flashed in the orcs' eyes.

"Bone Liergu," the lion-headed orc muttered, his tone shifting from fury to caution. "One of the three leaders of Amestris City."

Liergu smiled faintly. "And you—Ten Thousand Demons City orcs—have wandered rather far from home." His tone was polite, but the air around him grew heavy, pressing down on the alley like a storm.

The lion-headed orc straightened. "We've no quarrel with Amestris. We only seek two thieves who stole from our city."

"Thieves?" Liergu's eyes drifted toward Mia and Carmilla, thoughtful. "Interesting."

He had been patrolling nearby when the explosion drew him here.

"They took something precious from us," the orc continued quickly. "Return them, and we'll leave peacefully."

Liergu's gaze sharpened. "No fighting is allowed in Amestris. You know the law."

The lion-headed orc's voice turned persuasive. "Our cities share trade—especially salt. Surely this small matter can be overlooked?"

Liergu's smile vanished. "No."

A single word, heavy as stone.

The orc's claws retracted instantly. "Very well. We'll withdraw."

He shot the two girls a glare filled with unspoken promise, then turned. The wolf-headed and bear-headed orcs followed him into the darkness, their footsteps fading into the streets beyond.

When silence returned, Mia looked up toward the eaves—but Liergu was gone, as if he had melted into the night.

Carmilla exhaled shakily. "We're alive. Thank the gods." She clutched her chest, her heart still pounding.

"Let's move," Mia said quietly. Her crimson eyes glimmered, unreadable.

As they slipped into the shadows, she couldn't help but wonder why Liergu had chosen to spare them. There had been a flicker of recognition in his eyes when he looked at Carmilla—something that tied back to Orleans City.

Whatever the reason, they had been granted another chance to run.