The beautiful scenery behind her has now become a trap. If she turns and runs away, Snow Lion will be able to pounce on her effortlessly. She swallowed, trying to press the panic that had squeezed her throat back into her stomach. She shoved a stone into the sling and began to slowly spin the leather rope.

"Fuck off." Her voice didn't hear the slightest fear in her heart.

Instead, the snow lion moved a little closer. She threw the stone and hit the mane near its neck, counteracting the stone's momentum. It roared unhappily, and Taliyah felt a tremor in her chest, wondering if her beating heart was about to burst out.

She loaded another stone.

"Keep yelling," she mustered up the courage to shout, "I'll tell you to get out of the way."

Taliyah threw the stone out.

The roar of hunger grew louder. The birds in the pine trees also felt that this place could not be stayed for long, and with a slight leap of the wind, they flew into the sky.

Taliyah reached into her pocket and felt the last stone. Her hands were shaking, both from the cold and from the fear. The stone swirled between her fingers, fell to the ground, and rolled to the side. She looked up. The snow lion took another step forward, its massive head resting on its muscular shoulders and shaking slightly. She couldn't reach the stones.

Do you have to use your hands to pick up stones?

The man's words echoed in his ears. It seemed that there was another way, and Taliyah tried to gather ideas. The pebble shook, but the ground trembled beneath her feet.

The branches of the bird's departure were still swaying slightly.

The ambition of the bird is not in the forest.

The choice before her was already obvious: either continue to be suspicious and sit still, or cross the barrier and throw herself into the arms of power.

Born in the desert, on the snow-capped mountains of Ionia far from the coast, Taliya has in her mind the branches of the birds swaying after they leave. At this moment, she completely forgot about the imminent death. The lingering loneliness faded and was replaced by the last dance she had danced over the dunes. She saw her mother, her father, and Babayan's entire tribe all around her. She finally grasped the mystery of her gift, and then whispered a promise to his loved ones: I will go home.

She looked the beast in the eye. "I've left too much behind, and you can't stop me."

The stones beneath your feet begin to meander into the shape of a graceful crescent. She clung to the familiar warmth of her thoughts, and then leaped into the air.

A loud rumble came from beneath her feet, drowning out the snow lion's roar. It wanted to back off, but it was too late. The ground between its feet cracked, spewing a torrent of rubble. Its weight dragged it off its own rumbling.

The earth subsided, and the winding currents gently lifted Taliyah low in the air. The rock formations beneath her had shattered into thousands of gravels, and they could no longer respond to her call. She knew in her heart that she couldn't stay on the ruins. The girl's body began to fall. Before she could say goodbye to the cruel world that was falling apart in front of her, a strong wind enveloped her. Tough fingers gripped the collar of her coat.

"You said you were going to tear this mountain down, and I thought you were joking. Little sparrows. The man took a breath and lifted Taliyah back from the precipice of the newborn. I now understand why the desert is always flat. ”

She couldn't help but laugh. His condescending tone made her feel more relaxed. Taliyah stood up, glanced at the edge of the cliff, dusted off her body, picked up the hare left on the ground by the snow lion, and walked in the direction of the cave, her steps inexplicably brisk.

Taliyah bit her lower lip and writhed excitedly in her seat, eyes looking around. It was late at night, and there were still a few tables of guests at the inn. She couldn't remember how long she had been in isolation. She looked at her companion with a grim expression, who had now become her teacher, and he insisted on sitting in this dark corner. He couldn't resist Taliyah's request, and finally agreed to come to this remote little shop for a meal, but he kept frowning, not caring about the friendship between the two.

When he realized that he was similar to the others, and basically didn't know anyone, he finally relaxed a little and sat down peacefully in the shadows, his back against the wall, his cup in his hand. Since he didn't have to carry a heart, his intent gaze fell back on her.

"You should be focused, not hesitate."

Taliyah stared at the swirling tea leaves in her cup. Today's lesson was a bit difficult and didn't go well. In the end, both men were standing in the middle of the rubble with a disgraced face.

"As soon as you are distracted, danger will come."

"It's easy for me to hurt people." She stared at the cloak around his neck, the new cut quite conspicuous. Her own clothes weren't much better. But now she was dressed in a new burqa and a dress, and the innkeeper took pity on her, and gave them to her from the things that the previous guests had left behind. The long-sleeved Ionian style takes some getting used to, but the thick, dense fabric does last. Beneath her coat, she was still wearing her own short clothes, and although she had been weathered, it was the only thought from her homeland that she absolutely did not want to leave behind.

"If you don't break it, you can't stand it. Control comes from long-term practice. Your potential is limitless. You know, you've improved a lot.

"But what if I fail"

The door to the inn was pushed open, and the man's gaze snapped over. Two men dressed as merchants stamped their feet into the inn. The innkeeper signaled to the two that the table next to them was empty. One of them walked straight over, and the other waited near the bar.

"Everybody fails." Taliyah's teacher said. An imperceptible hint of frustration swept across his face, making his otherwise restrained demeanor a little out of shape. "But that's just one stage in life. You have to keep moving forward, and it will pass. ”

One of the merchants sat down, his eyes looking back and forth at Taliyah. He noticed the pale lavender purple of her clothes, and the gold ornaments and stones in her hair.

"Is that Shurima's thing, chick?"

Taliyah did her best, pretending not to hear. Her teacher gave her a warning look, but the merchant laughed it off.

"It wasn't very common before." He said to himself.

The girl stared at her palm, not saying a word.

"Now it's being said everywhere that your city is up again."

Taliyah jerked her head up: "What"

"It is said that the river is also starting to flow backwards." The merchant waved his hand, a look of contempt on his face. The people of the remote places seemed to him to be simple-minded fools and fools. "It's all because the bird-headed emperor crawled out of the grave."

"Whatever he is, it's ruining our business." Another businessman also joined the conversation. "They said he was determined to gather all the Shurima people, including slaves or something."

"Little girl, you're much better here than there." The first person added.

The second man looked away from his glass, and only then did he notice Taliyah's companion. "You're familiar, I've seen you before.

The door of the inn was pushed open again. A group of guards walked in, their eyes sharply examining each of them. The middle one, apparently a captain-type character, has his eye on Taliyah and her teacher. She sensed an ominous atmosphere rising in the inn, and several of the guests stood up and hurried away. The two businessmen also shrewdly slipped out.

The captain of the guard pushed aside a few chairs that stood in his way, approached, and stood a sword away from them.

"Murderer," he said.

"You're hiding here. Drink up your wine, it's the last one anyway. The captain said.

The sound of the steel blade coming out of its sheath made Taliyah shudder and stand up. She watched as her teacher held a long knife and looked down at the room full of guards.