We did not leave her intentionally," another soldier said. "The moment we ran an invisible barrier appeared between us. She was separated from us instantly. And the creature was not after any of us." He paused. "It was after her specifically."
Phoenix was quiet for a moment.
"You are dismissed," he said. "Your punishment will be decided in due course."
They filed out in silence.
Phoenix turned to Korran.
"What did you find out there?"
Korran's expression shifted into something heavier.
"Of the four soldiers I sent to inspect the barrier, two were dead when I found them," he said.
"The physicians examined the bodies," Korran continued. "Both soldiers were swallowed and expelled by the creature. That was the cause of death."
"They will not walk into death that easily," Phoenix said.
"The creature belongs to the Snake Beastmen clan," Korran said. "What we gathered is that it has the ability to duplicate itself. The duplicates are invisible, completely undetectable until they act."
Phoenix's eyes sharpened.
"How many duplicates were formed?"
"Four total," Korran answered. "The first duplicate formed the barrier itself, sealing us in. Two more guarded the far ends of the barrier, cutting off any escape route. The last one was positioned directly at Hazel's location." He paused. "Both the original creature and its duplicate were present at her tent simultaneously."
Phoenix was quiet for a moment.
"The Snake Beastmen clan," he repeated.
"Yes Alpha."
"How did she survive an invisible creature?" Phoenix asked. "Or are they her allies out there who came to rescue her?"
"No they were not her allies," Korran said.
"When she was sealed earlier she was completely cut off from the rest of the world . The only people she had were those who found and saved her I suspect they are either in Bloodmoon or Silvermoon".
"Then how did she escape it?"
Korran was quiet for a moment, choosing his words carefully.
"The Lady is extraordinary, Alpha. She was the only one among all of us who could sense the creature's presence before it struck. None of the trained soldiers felt anything. She felt it the moment it arrived." He paused. "I watched her fight it myself. Blind, injured and on the ground she placed a branch into its mouth and locked its jaw open between two trees to buy herself time to escape. Her timing was perfect. Her awareness was beyond anything I have seen in a soldier twice her age."
Phoenix said nothing.
"The soldiers who were there have all said the same thing," Korran continued. "Her bravery was unlike anything they have witnessed."
The room held its silence.
Phoenix turned to the window.
"You may leave," Phoenix said.
Korran bowed and stepped out of the tent.
"Beta," one of the soldiers said, moving toward him. "You have blood coming from your nose."
"I am fine," Korran said.
He took one step forward and dropped.
The soldiers caught him before he hit the ground fully and carried him immediately to the physician's tent. The examination began without delay.
Phoenix arrived at the tent shortly after.
"How is he?" he asked.
The physician turned to face him.
"It was the snake poison, Alpha. It had been working through his system since the creature attacked. We have extracted it completely using the Vita Renovare through the mages." He folded his hands. "He will need a few hours to recover fully but he will be well."
Phoenix looked at Korran lying on the cot for a moment.
"What exactly does the poison do?" Phoenix asked.
The physician straightened.
"It begins at the point of contact," he said. "Burnt blisters form immediately where it lands on the skin. From there it moves inward, rupturing the veins closest to the surface which causes the bleeding you saw from his nose." He paused. "After that it attacks the muscles and the nerves simultaneously. The victim experiences instant muscle arrest followed by stroke. Then it travels to the brain and begins shutting it down progressively. The heart slows in the process. Everything slows." He folded his hands. "For a normal wolf the entire process takes between two and three minutes from point of contact to death."
Phoenix was quiet.
"How long was he carrying it?" he asked.
"From the condition we found him in, Alpha, he had been carrying it since the attack."
"For Beta Korran however," the physician continued, "the process took close to two hours before it began to take full effect. His healing capacity is exceptional. He was able to neutralise the blisters as they formed and slow the poison's progression significantly." He paused. "Without that capacity he would not have survived the interrogation."
"You may leave," Phoenix said.
When the sun returned Phoenix made his way to Hazel's tent.
She had just woken, still gathering herself from sleep, her white gown creased and marked from everything the night before had put it through.
Phoenix stepped inside and set a folded garment beside her.
"Change into this," he said.
He set the clothes on the bed beside her and pulled a chair close, sitting to face her directly.
"Did you feel any burning on your skin? Any part of your body?"
"No," Hazel said. "Korran blocked all of it." She paused. "I heard he is unwell. How is he?"
"He will recover," Phoenix said.
A silence settled between them, quieter than the ones before it.
Phoenix looked at her for a long moment.
"When I look at you," he said, "I cannot help but see pieces of Sapphire in you."
Hazel turned her face away.
"I would like to change now," she said. "Please leave."
Outside Hazel was guided to the front of the coach.
"Hazel." Korran's voice came before she heard his footsteps. "Are you feeling better?"
She turned toward him, surprise crossing her face.
"You are already up?"
"I dislike beds," he said simply.
He moved to help her climb into the coach, his hand steady at her arm.
Then Phoenix appeared.
"You can ride in the Gamma's carriage," he said to Korran. "I will see to her myself."