I Become the Baby Tiger in a Beast Taming World-Chapter 41: To Save a Wolf, You Need a Fox

We can’t just steal a beast!

We can’t steal Lobo from Lady Lammermoor. That would be hypocritical. So, System, how do we rescue Lobo?

[Breaking the Beast Bond.

Separating a Beast from a Tamer can create physical pain. It is not to be done lightly. Only in cases of abuse and neglect or scandal.

There are several ways you can do this:

1. Provide a substitute beast.

2. Call on Advanced Level beast tamers to break the bond.

3. Fake the beast’s death (not recommended).

4. Use a hex to sever the bond (not recommended).

5. Use an Artifact to break the bond (rare).

6. Get the beast tamer to break the bond on his or her own.

7. Try to break the bond yourself as a beast (must be Advanced and have telepathy).]

Meanwhile, Niall explains the very thing that the System has outlined. Kaline’s eyes pop. "Niall, how do you understand all this?"

Vedette leans forward. "They say that you used to be a beast tamer yourself. Or a beast taming coach. And for some reason, you gave it up to be a hermit and curse-breaker."

Ahhhh.

It makes sense.

It’s such a common trope in so many movies, books, and TV shows. The former boxer who’s faded into obscurity and is pulled out of retirement to coach someone. In fantasy, the wizard hermit who no longer casts spells but who somehow agrees to help the party of adventurers. Or the disgraced ex-knight who is now a mercenary and who rediscovers his true calling through training the novice warrior. In sci-fi, the ex-starship captain who gave up space for whatever reason (usually tragic) and has to command a ship on a desperate mission to save the galaxy. Just pick one.

Niall seems like the unlikeliest mentor since Luke Skywalker crash-landed on Dagobah and just happened to encounter Yoda. But the mystery surrounding him, and his knowledge of beast taming intrigue and households, make this revelation completely natural.

Hans shakes his head, still mulling this over. "It makes all the sense in the world. How else could you know all this about my family and the beast taming world?"

With a deep sigh, Niall looks solemn, his small face drooping. "It is not something I speak of to too many people, but the rumors have been circulating for a while. I can tell you now that they are, in fact, true."

My tail curls with the excitement of being correct.

If I recall from the game, there are mentions of these ex-beast tamers that players might encounter, and possibly gain wisdom from.

"So...you are Fangless?" Vedette wants to know.

Niall grimaces. "I despise that term, but yes. I am Fangless."

[Not Fangless.] Demos’ mouth drops open. [That is the worst!]

Vedette explains to Kaline, "To be Fangless means that you lost your beast, either because they were taken permanently or because you gave them away. It also means that you either walked away from the beast taming world or were banned. It’s not exactly a good thing to be. Sorry, Niall, but it’s the truth."

Niall tries to smooth his white hair. A futile pursuit. "Vedette, it is what I am."

"But why?" Kaline looks genuinely baffled. "Don’t you miss it?"

Niall’s eyes turn so dark they almost look midnight blue. "Child, you came here seeking help. You came here trying to stop a threat to the entire beast taming world. I still care about that world and the people in it, and most importantly, the beasts. Therefore, I will help you. But NEVER ask me about the past."

Cowed for once, Kaline mumbles, "I...I did not mean to offend. PLEASE help us. There is no one else we can turn to. Vedette and I can’t involve our parents. They would stop us. They would ground us."

"And I shudder to think what would happen if Mother found out about my part in this," Hans says. Although bold and courageous, he definitely seems to fear his mother, and I can’t say I blame him.

Smoothing his hair, or trying to, Niall softens. "Well. Let’s review these various options for breaking the beast bond. I am not-quite-Advanced, so I couldn’t help you with the second option and break the bond. None of your beasts are Advanced level, even if Demos and Lightning do possess telepathy."

[But we’re not Advanced.] Lightning sticks out her pink tongue, displeased with herself.

"And we can’t call on other beast tamers without alerting anyone else," Hans mutters. "Even if our house is disgraced, we still have influence and people watching us. Someone would alert my mother. You’re right, that option is out. As for getting Mother to break the bond, that will happen when dragons lose their wings."

Kaline’s face crumples. "We CAN’T fake Lobo’s death."

Hans looks ill at the very thought. "NEVER!"

Demos, Lightning, and I growl, while Gussie doesn’t see the problem.

"A hex is OUT," Kaline declares.

Niall looks at her as if she just said the most glaringly obvious thing in the world. "Well, as a curse-breaker, I would not be in the favor of a hex. And artifacts are exceedingly rare."

Kaline leans in, smelling excited. "Well, then, let’s put all our efforts into the best and only option we have left! A substitute beast."

Vedette holds up a hand. "That may be a problem. Hans, you were adamant that your mother wouldn’t willingly break the bond."

"Not without a substitute beast," Hans says, not sounding entirely convincing. "But, if it were a superior beast, one that would flatter her ego by possessing it, then we might have a chance."

"That does seem like the best idea out of all of them," Kaline says, but she, too, sounds less than enthusiastic. "I feel badly for Lobo..."

[I don’t.] I gaze deeply into Lightning’s eyes. [He needs to escape this horrible situation with Lady Rosabel. Get away from a mistress who clearly doesn’t deserve him or his loyalty. He’s brave.]

{I don’t feel badly for Lobo either, even though I will miss him.] Lightning’s eyes flash, mesmerizing me. [He has been wasted on Lady Lammermoor. That is why he bit you that first time. He NEVER felt as snuggly with Lady Lammermoor as you do with the Young Miss. And maybe he felt threatened. Also, he maybe soaked up Lady Lammermoor’s envy and hostility through the bond.]

[That explains so much.] I give a little "mrrrp" of approval.

Hans leans back, his long hair spilling all around. He definitely seems like a person, not in immortal elf, and yet he is still as cool as any other elf, with Legolas setting the gold standard. "On the one hand, she never quite deserved Lobo. On the other hand, I’m not sure it is fair to inflict her upon another beast."

"It’s the only plan we have," Vedette reminds him. "We must free Lobo, for his sake."

Kaline leaps up. "FREE LOBO."

Vedette leaps up, nearly toppling backward into the tiny furniture. "FREE LOBO."

Gussie cries out, "FREE LOBO," nonstop, on repeat, for several minutes.

Hans gets to his feet, his long legs strong and sturdy. "FREE LOBO."

Finally, Niall shoves aside the remains of his sausage and pepper sandwich and leaps up on his coffee table. "FREE LOBO!"

Demos, Lightning, and I all roar together. [FREE LOBO!]

We all shout, "FREE LOBO," until we’re hoarse.

Once the cheerleading chorus and revolutionary cry die down, we settle back down to conclude our little confab.

"Now that we’ve got the plan, all we need is the beast," Hans declares. Away from his mother, he is like a blossoming plant. Once kept in a hothouse and restricted, now he can grow the way he maybe has yearned to do all his life.

"It has to be a beast we don’t particularly like," Kaline warns.

Vedette snickers. "You are terrible."

"No, she’s on to something," Niall argues. "It has to be a beast tat matches her temperament much better. We should..."

The suspicious smell reaches my nose, and I hear something scratching in the kitchen. Demos’ ears stick up, and he growls. The two of us plus Lightning scamper towards the kitchen, where we see a glittery red tail, flecked with gold and silver hints, sticking out of an open cupboard.

Pouncing as a group, we work together to pull the rascal out of the cupboard. What should we discover but a glowing magical fox pup, face white with flour?

"Thief," Niall shouts. "You have rummaged in my cabinets for the last time, and you are wearing my best flour on your face!"

We all exchange glances, human and animal alike. "You know this fox?"

"Know him! He is an unrepentant rogue who used to be a fancy lord’s pet," Niall blusters. "They call him Shade."

I communicate to the fox. [Ho there, hey, Shade!]

Rubbing his nose on a dishtowel, Shade fixes me with a haughty stare. [Yes, cub?]

[How would you like to belong to a noble house again?]