1034.98 · April 8, 1287 BC
Dark Gifts
The four cubs survive the crossing. In Andhakara's torch-lit compound, Devraj presents his prizes to his fellow Guardians. None of them can know that these mewling, black-furred creatures will outlast everything they build — and become something their descendants cannot control.
Three weeks since the capture. The cubs have survived the journey from the Western Ghats, through the Portal, and into a dimension where night means absolute darkness and day offers no familiar sun. They are weak, frightened, and utterly dependent on their captors. Devraj sees in them the foundation of an empire — breeding stock, territorial guardians, trade goods that will make Andhakara indispensable. His fellow Guardians see the same opportunity. They build enclosures, establish feeding routines, begin the patient work of domestication. The cubs adapt faster than expected. In Clivilius's endless nights, their black coats and keen eyes are not disadvantages but advantages waiting to be unlocked. The breeding programme begins.
