Shi Lang and Amelia dashed through the woods, following the Flaming Leopard’s tracks when Shi Lang asked the girl to use her ability to become invisible. Amelia had no doubts and immediately followed his instructions.
Shi Lang did not want to take any chances, so he moved slowly through the woods, taking care not to cross paths with a group of natives. He was aware of how the Shamantis would purposefully leave loopholes in their patrol routes to entice any intruders. He took advantage of the loopholes because, just as they can be used to get to the center of the trap, they can also be used to get outside.
Shi Lang’s hand was on his handgun as they moved, something that Amelia noticed. She also increased her vigilance and became acutely aware of every movement in her surroundings. They continued to move through the forest, following the shadows.
Shi Lang said quietly after traversing for twenty kilometers, “We’ve gotten away from the native settlement. We can take a break. I’ll re-calibrate my mask and then we can go in search of the beast. The traces have come to a halt here.”
Amelia said with a nod, “Sir, I suggest we hide in the crown before you begin the recalibration process. I sensed someone staring at us earlier when we were moving from shadow to shadow, every time we moved through the light. I’m not sure what it was, but it did send shivers down my spine.”
Shi Lang said with a nod, “What you said is correct; there must be some kind of beast in this part of the woods. Let us climb up.”
They moved from the ground to the tree’s crown. Shi Lang settled the small cage in his hand to the side and began to re-calibrate his mask with his communicator and asked, “How have you been?”
His words were clearly intended for Amelia, who was still upset with him for his rude behavior earlier. Nonetheless, she responded, “I’ve been doing fine. Thank you for taking the time to express your concern.”
Shi Lang said with a shake of his head, “You’re still upset about what I said earlier, aren’t you? I do not regret it, if I have to, I’ll do it again. You have such power over me that if I find you in a dangerous situation, I will panic and both of us will die. It is my responsibility as a senior officer to make things as clear to you as possible so that you do not suffer.”
Amelia gazed at him with her sparkling eyes, she could tell that he was caring for her by shunning her away from himself in this situation, but was she a normal lady? She replied, “You do not have to do such things. I have spent a lot of time in this place and I understand what you said. Do not worry too much. I am strong enough.”
Shi Lang paused his operation to look at her through his mask. He gave her a simple nod and then his hand began moving again. After a few minutes, he finished re-calibration of the mask and said, “Time to move.”
Amelia nodded, and they descended from the tree and began moving through the shadows cast by the canopy of the trees. Shi Lang was moving fast and decisively, his mask was able to pick up the traces left by the flaming leopard. The minimal paw imprint on the ground, fur strands on the tree barks.
It was as if they could see the leopard in front of them, Amelia asked, “Is this all not too simple?”
Shi Lang glanced at the cage he held, as he was moving along. The young man said, “Would you rather have us fight with a whole group of Shamantis?”
Amelia shook her head and said, “I mean, it is like a game of tag. Too simple and childish.”
Shi Lang chuckled and said, “You might think that all the military tasks are filled with blood and flesh, but that is not true, sometimes it can really be a game of tag. Let us pick up the pace.”
Amelia replied, “Try to conserve energy, this might not be as simple as it may seem. The beasts on this planet, especially predators, have a vast territory.”
Shi Lang nodded and asked, “I understand. Some of the other scouts must have taken note of this beast’s movements, right? Maybe we can ask the base to send us some basic data about it?”
The girl nodded and the two people dashed through the woods. The bird inside the cage seemed to have grown tired from all the wild fluttering. It calmed down and the couple continued chasing after the leopard. Amelia contacted the base camp and requested them to provide her with the data regarding the Flaming Leopard.
However, she was given a monotonous excuse that the staff is busy at the moment and they will only be able to help them after a few hours of delay. Shi Lang understood, who caused this delay. The commanding officer, Major Tiberius. He said, “Call them back and tell them, to patch Major Tiberius to my communicator.”
Amelia nodded and contacted the base, as soon as the communication was established she said, “This is Wazir, Agent Ace requesting an emergency comm patch to Commander.”
The officer on the other side stayed silent for a few minutes and then a somber voice sounded from the other end, “This is Commander Tiberius, go ahead.”
Shi Lang had already patched on and said, “Do you not understand that you need to use a codename while interacting with an officer outside the command outpost?”
His solemn tone was even thicker than Tiberius’. The latter did not expect to be reprimanded as soon as he took over the communication request. Shi Lang did not give him a chance to retort, and went on, “I heard that the base encountered an emergency situation. Do you need me to provide support?”
Tiberius replied, “No, sir. The situation is under control.” his acting was fine, he talked in a calm manner despite being impatient.
Shi Lang nodded and said, “Since the situation is under control, then the data regarding the Flaming tiger shall be provided to us. Do you understand?”
…
Tiberius on the other hand clenched his jaw and balled his fists. He said, “Yes, sir.”
His face was turning into a weird shade of purple and pink. He disconnected the communication and said to an officer sitting in front of the console, “Transfer them the data they need.”
Then he marched outside the control room. The officers all exchanged glances and the guy transferred the data with a smirk on his face. They had long been troubled by this person. It was about time this guy learned his place.
…
As the communication came to an end, Amelia could not help but chuckle. She did not expect this guy to be so good at dampening the mood for others. She wanted to give him a big hug, but at the moment they were on a mission and she did not wish to disturb his state of mind. The couple moved through the woods while reading the data on Amelia’s communicator.
Shi Lang would stop every now and then. He would pick up some herbs from the ground, using a pair of forceps and after he did this action seven times, Amelia asked, “What is that? It is very smelly.”
Shi Lang replied, “You do not need to know.”
That said, he ended the conversation at this point only. He did not want to tell his fiancee that he was shoveling shit and that it was important for his gene lock serum. He placed the vacuum-locked transport package. This allowed him to collect seven strands of the herbs mentioned by Dalia. Now all that was left was to get the leopard.
Shi Lang and Amelia had found a lot of precious herbs and took some of them from the wild. Amelia was curious but she did not get any answers. The data had told them that the Flame Leopard had a territory of a hundred-kilometer radius. The two of them traversed through the woods without resting.
The night spread over the horizon and now they moved through the patches of moonlight, the forest was much more active than it was in the day. They could hear a lot of wild noises. Shi Lang and Amelia came across a small lake, the place was clear of any trees and shades. The youngster said, “Wazir, we can camp here for the night.”
Amelia nodded and said, “Yes, Sir.”
Shi Lang did not say anything more and knelt on the bank of the river and said, “I will take the first watch. Stay out of the shadows.”
Amelia nodded sat with her legs crossed across him. The murmurs in the night were helping him stay awake, after a few hours, Shi Lang gazed at the blue bird inside the cage and said, “It is here, Wazir, wake up.”