Three days had passed since Number 5 had been stranded in the forest, but he was slowly starting to get used to his surroundings. He was actually quite happy. He could sleep whenever he wanted, didn't have to hear screams or take any beatings from Dotan, and most importantly—he felt free.
Maybe his lady neighbor was right, maybe it was better for him to live in the woods like this. At least, he would be safe from his cruel master. Whenever he felt hungry, Number 5 would look for berries or mushrooms to eat. He didn't care about its taste as long as it could fill his stomach. He had never eaten good food anyway to care about what he ate.
While he was in the forest, he hadn't met a single human and that made him quite relieved. Nobody bothered him nor struck him. He had also learned to collect fallen branches and big leaves to make an emergency shelter.
Slowly, Number 5 learned to recognize which mushrooms would hurt his stomach and which one didn't. He had tried leaves that tasted sweet; he would eat them to satisfy his hunger in case he failed to find berries or mushrooms. He ate everything raw. Didn't animals also eat everything raw and they were still alive? Who cares about cooked food.
To quench his thirst, he would take a little sip of the remaining wine. He would also lick the morning dew from the leaves.
Once he felt that he had regained some strength, he decided to walk around and try to find a spring or river. When he had finished his wine, Number 5 knew that he must immediately find a source of water to drink; otherwise, he'd die.
So far, Number 5 hadn't encountered any beasts in the woods. He didn't know what kinds of animals were living here, but he had been hoping he wouldn't meet any fearsome beasts because he knew he wouldn't have a chance if they were to prey on him. So, he always carried a large stick from a fallen branch for protection. He wouldn't die without a fight after all he had gone through, he was determined to keep on living.
Although he had been walking barefooted all day, he still hadn't found any spring. His knees were shaking, and his throat was parched, begging for some drops of water. His energy was slowly fading along with whatever hope he still had left. The woods became denser with trees, and he eventually lost his sense of direction.
Finally, he decided to stop and rest. He was exhausted, hungry, and thirsty. He couldn't walk anymore.
Am I going to die here?
Is this how my life will end?
ROARRRR...
He hadn't finished pondering his fate when his ears picked up a terrifying roar from a distance. He didn't know what animal it was, but it was enough to send chills down his spine. His heart dropped to the ground.
Oh, dear gods, was that a tiger?
Immediately, he summoned whatever strength he had left in a panic as he searched for any holes in the trees, trying to find a place to hide.
There was none.
The place where he stood was slightly exposed. He wanted to try and climb trees to avoid the beast but all the trees trunks around him were huge and tall. The lowest branch he could see was still far above his head.
ROARRRR
The beast's roar was getting louder and closer. The boy's bony face paled like a corpse as he stood frozen in place like a statue. His consciousness fled, leaving behind a soulless body, ready to be mauled by the approaching beast. He dropped his stick to the ground as his hand went numb and lost its grip, shaking in fear.
ROARRRR
Seconds later, the monster arrived. A huge yellow tiger with black stripes jumped out of a shrub and pounced on Number 5 while letting out a deafening roar.
This is it!
This is the end!
Number 5 closed his eyes, waiting for his imminent death.
"Gwynn! No!"
In the last half-second, a girl's melodious voice had shouted a short order. The tiger swiftly twisted its body to the right, landing gracefully next to Number 5, who was still frozen like a statue with his eyes closed, and his lower body wet with his own piss.
The boy waited for one full minute, but the sharp claws and teeth he was expecting didn't come. Number 5 slowly opened his eyes. He didn't breathe for almost two minutes, and when he turned to his left, he saw a huge tiger standing next to him. The animal looked a bit arrogant, but not at all threatening.
His legs went limp as he collapsed to the ground and gasped for air.
"Hey, I would like to apologize for Gwynn. He thought you were his prey."
The melodious voice came again, and a few moments later came the owner of the voice. Number 5 looked up to see who was talking to him.
When he saw the girl jumping over the shrubs toward him, Number 5's heart skipped a beat.
He had never seen such a beautiful human in his life before. This girl might be 13 or 14 years old, a truly stunning beauty.
Her long, light pink hair was tied in a ponytail for practicality. Her large round eyes were like bright emeralds, full of intelligence. She had a cute small nose and small natural pink lips. Her slender body was dressed like a boy but still, it couldn't hide her beauty and charm. This girl would grow up to be the most beautiful woman in the world, Number 5 thought in amazement.
"What's your name?" asked the girl, standing in front of Number 5. "How come you're alone in the forest?"
Number 5 was still transfixed in his place, unable to answer. He wasn't mute, but very rarely did anyone try to converse with him, so he almost forgot how to speak words.
The girl noticed how dirty he appeared and how the boy was like a bag of bones. He looked like a beggar boy who hadn't eaten for several days. She felt that words weren't necessary, so she didn't pressure him to talk.
"Are you hungry?" The girl asked in an empathetic voice. "Just nod if you are."
Number 5 nodded slowly. He was exhausted, thirsty, and hungry.
"My name's Myria," the girl said, taking out a water skin from the pouch hanging from her waist. "Drink up. After this, I'll get you food."
Number 5 and his dry throat shamelessly accepted the bottle and took a mouthful of water. He wasn't an ungrateful bastard though, so he didn't empty its contents. He left half the water and returned the water skin to the owner.
This gesture didn't escape Myria's observation. The girl smiled as she put the water skin back into her pouch.
"I was taking Gwynn for a walk and he suddenly ran here. I thought he found a prey but apparently, it was a child. I guess you're stranded here. Do you still have parents?"
Number 5 shook his head slowly.
"Hmm... you no longer have parents? You poor thing. You're still so young. Then how can you eat?" Myria showed a look of pity all over her face. She didn't need to hear the answer. She could conclude that this skinny, emaciated boy hadn't eaten for several days. If she didn't find him, maybe the boy would die in the woods in a few days and became prey to the other animals.
Number 5 simply looked down listlessly.
"Come with me! There's plenty of food in my place. After we eat, we'll think about what we should do for you." Myria pulled Number 5's hand. She clicked her tongue and ordered Gwynn to bend. "Gwynn, take us home now."
The huge tiger obediently bent his body, and Myria pushed Number 5 to climb up his back. The boy didn't even have time to resist; the next thing he knew was, he was already on Gwynn's back, followed by Myria who jumped up to her tiger's back lightly.
"Onwards to home!" exclaimed Myria, clutching Gwynn's neck and pressed her legs to the tiger's belly.
Number 5 felt his chest become filled with warmth as they flew to the sky on the tiger's back with the cool breeze touching his face.
It was the best feeling in the world.