It was the Dire Tiger—hung up by its limbs, completely lifeless.

Natasha stared in shock. "Wait… did the Patoaja warriors actually take this thing down?"

Just then, Buzz walked over. He said, "We found the beast up in the mountains. By the time we got to it, it was already half-dead. It didn't take much effort for us to put it down."

Andrew did not know how to respond. He could not explain exactly how the Dire Tiger had already been dying inside the tomb.

Chantelle stepped forward to offer context. "Captain Buzz, Chief Flintspire has already—"

Before she could finish, Buzz raised a hand and cut her off. "Axel is no longer our chief. For years, he did terrible things behind the villagers' backs. We don't want to talk about the details, but as far as we're concerned, whatever happens to him is no longer our concern."

He continued, "Our village just wants peace from now on. If outsiders want to be here for tourism, we welcome that. But if there's any other agenda, we won't be