Chapter 16

Strife found an inn with a stable outside the woods. He settled Despair in the stable and set the hawk near the horse. Sunset meant Fury would need some clothes. He didn't have any for her to change into. He would have to find some.

Strife ventured around until he saw a seamstress store near the inn. Now was a time to actually do some good. He still had money from when he stole two days ago so he went inside, and for the first time in his life, bought instead of stealing it. He purchased a burgundy dress with matching shoes and some clothes for himself. He went back to the stable and laid Fury's clothes in front of the hawk, then stepped outside and change as sunset approached.

In the woods, Death was stripped of his clothes. He settled them under a rock so no one would steal it in the night. As the sun sets, the transformation began. He fell to all fours; his tail sprinted out of his rear. A dark orange coat of fur covered his body. His black hair, changed to a coat of white and orange. His nose got bigger, teeth grew longer, whiskers formed on his cheeks, eyes grew bigger and the roar of the tiger signaled the completion of his metamorphosis.

In a fresh set of clothes, Strife knocked on the door. The sun was down so Fury had to be nephilim again.

"Fury?" He knocked again.

"Fury, are you dressed?" He waited and there was no reply.

"I'm coming in." He warned and opened the stable door and walked in slowly. Fury stepped out from the back of the stables wearing a burgundy dress. Her hair was pulled back in the bow matching the dress.

"You?" She pointed to the dress.

"Yeah," He said.

"Thank you." She smiled grateful.

"How is Death?" Fury asked walking to Despair.

"He's fine, Fury."

"Hello, Despair." Fury greeted the fleshy horse and twirled her finger in his ghostly mane.

"He's taking us back to the capital, isn't he?"

"Yes." Fury sighed, a nagging feeling stirred inside her. Just the thought of returning to the white city, almost made her stomach turned. It was there that this curse began, but it was also there that she met Death and she wouldn't change anything for that. She stopped petting the horse and looked over at Strife. She didn't have any idea of what to do after she got something to eat and look out for Death, but assumed Strife did.

Strife smiled mischievously.

"Death has put me in charge of you." Fury looked at him surprised, her smile still on her face.

"He did?"

"Yes. He said, 'Tell her we speak as one and she will follow your instructions as if it were my own.'" Fury almost laughed. She knew how protective Death was with her when they were together, so this didn't come as a surprise.

"Oh, really, and what would that be?"

"There is an inn nearby. I'm sure it's been a while since you've had a cooked meal."

"As a matter of fact, it has." Strife picked up the Death's scythe and held his arm out to Fury.

"Shall we?" Strife laughed as she took his arm.

"Are you going to be my protector too?" She asked noticing Strife wrapping the scythe in a cloth.

"I'm flattered."

"Actually, Death would kill me if I lose the scythe." Strife opened the door for her. She was greeted with a pile of dead tigers on a horse. Fury screamed in horror. She reached out to touch the dead tigers, fearing one of them was Death. Strife put an arm around Fury to console her.

"Calm down, Fury. It's all right." On the other side of the horse beside the deceased tigers, was Absalom. He looked down at the two.

"Fury?" Ah, he remembered what War told him—you find the woman, you find the tiger.

"Fury," He looked her over. No wonder the tiger was in love with her. Strife saw the lewd look Absalom was giving Fury.

"Get inside," Strife said, gently pushing her back. Strife pulled out the Death's scythe, the blade extended to its fullest length. He aimed it at Absalom.

"If you try to touch her, your head would be on the ground with the rest of your body!" Absalom laughed at the boy's antics.

"Oh, you're scaring me, boy."

"Go on! Get out of here!" Absalom rode off with his other horse to the nearby woods. Getting Fury wasn't his job anyway. He was to kill the tiger and he knew he was nearby since he saw Fury. Strife groaned.

"This is not turning into a good night." The stable door swung open and Fury rode out on Despair towards the woods.

"Wait, Fury!" Strife called out, but she was out of hearing distance and even if she did hear him, he knew she wouldn't have stopped. If anything happened to Fury….

"He's going to kill me." Strife groaned. He couldn't let that happen. On foot, Strife ran after Fury, hoping he could save her from any danger.

Fury rode deep in the woods and stopped. She dismounted and walked on foot looking for Absalom. Her only weapon was a knife from the saddlebag. It will have to do. Absalom was a tiger killer and she had to warn Death somehow if not to protect him herself. Traps were set all over the woods for the tiger and Absalom was somewhere, hiding and waiting. Fury heard footsteps around her. She couldn't see in the darkness so she challenged him out.

"Show yourself, coward."

A tiger looked up at the sound of the voice. He searched to find the voice and stepped into a trap. A tiger's cry echoed in the forest. Fury followed the direction of the cry. Was it Death? She hoped it wasn't but not many tigers travel through these woods. She saw Absalom hunched over the wounded tiger. He pulled the dead tiger out of the trap and reset it for any others that might travel in the woods. Fury pulled out her small knife and approached Absalom. She stabbed him in the back with it. He cried out and pulled the knife out. He tripped Fury with his axe and she fell to the ground.

"I don't care what War wants. I'm going to kill you too!" He growled. Another tiger came roaring out of nowhere and tackled Absalom, pushing him into the trap.

"Death," Fury whispered. Absalom struggled to pull himself out, but the sharp steels pierced through his skin and blood was running fast from his face. Within seconds, he died.

"Death!" She called out. The tiger walked slowly to her. She stroked his head and kissed his forehead.

"Thank you." Strife arrived with the scythe in his hand. He saw Fury kneeling in front of Death and stopped. Fury felt his presence and looked at Strife.

"It's over. The hunter is dead." Strife's eyes fell to the body in the trap. It then went to Fury in front of Death. There was so much love in her eyes for the tiger as she looked at him, stroking his head. The sadness of what Fury and Death were going through was hurting Strife now and he wanted to help them more than ever.

"Run and hide safely, my love. Another one may come." She told him soothingly. The tiger looked at Strife. He wasn't sure if he could protect her after what transpired. Fury stood up, sensing his hesitance.

"Don't worry. He will protect me. Now go." The tiger looked at Strife as if telling him, 'she better not be harmed.' He turned around and ran back in the forest. Fury stood up and watched her love run deep into the forest towards safety. When he was out of sight, she looked at him.

"How about that dinner?"