Wanderlust Beastkin, Beauty and the Beastkin

"I’d prefer it to be just the two of us; I’m eager to spend some quality one-on-one time getting to know you better."

He hesitated, biting his lip as he weighed his options on whether to push back against me. Meanwhile, I was already making my way toward the woods, the basket securely fastened to my back.

I walked ahead making sure that I walked on the clearest path possible and Miko seeing that I wasn’t having any trouble decided to follow me without any more protest.

He was vigilant, scanning the skies to ensure we remained within the protective aura barrier. Not that there was much to worry about; it was highly improbable that anything formidable would breach this space. His family had a habit of reinforcing the property’s defenses, just enough to deter any random hordes from setting up camp. He had a rather unconventional upbringing, but he preferred to keep those stories to himself.

Before long, we stumbled upon a cluster of trees draped in light gray, stringy moss, their bases adorned with a plethora of gray-blue mushrooms. I was ready to stroll past after giving them a curious glance, but he suddenly halted, excitement bubbling over as he snatched one up without a second thought. Foraging for mushrooms usually made me uneasy—precision is key—but he was a local, so I figured he knew what he was doing.

"These are absolutely delicious, moon-glow mushrooms they have a smooth and mild flavor and go well with bullfaloo meat.

I have no clue what bullfaloo meat is, but hey, let’s just go with the flow!

He meticulously gathered every mushroom in sight, ensuring to gently shake off the spores and detach them without harming the roots. I paid close attention to his foraging techniques and the selections he made. In the future, I definitely wanted to try my hand at gathering some goodies myself, but I’d be sure to have him inspect my finds afterward.

Then he stumbled upon something that resembled cabbage, albeit a much brighter shade of green than I was accustomed to. He also discovered wild onions, carrots, and some surprisingly black potatoes that were, thankfully, not spoiled. We continued our exploration until I nearly squealed with joy at the sight of what appeared to be chickens three times the usual size, clucking around a large rooster that was munching on some grains of wheat—or at least, what looked like towering green-tinted stalks of wheat that reached up to my waist. The wheat was a bit unsettling, and the chickens sported baby pink and mint green feathers, but aside from their unusual colors, they acted just like regular chickens. My excitement bubbled over, and I quickly removed the bucket that was filling up, asking Milo to whip up another one for our feathery friends. I had him make it larger with a flap lid, and we both dashed forward to round up the chickens. He was thrilled to see me so animated, and I was over the moon because I adore chicken and eggs! In our excitement, we completely overlooked the fact that we had dashed past the aura barrier, leaving us vulnerable to any lurking monsters.

While we were engrossed in our chicken-chasing adventure, I started to become tired from the chase since there was just the two of us. "Hey, why don’t you go back and grab the wolf brothers for me. I bet the two of them are fast and are good at working together. That way we can direct the chickens from four sides."

Milo paused and looked at me with a bewildered look on his face. "The Fidel and Zelig aren’t back yet."

"Aren’t back? Where did they go?"

"You don’t know?"

"No? Should I know where they went?"

"I just though Kai talked with you about it already. If he hasn’t, you should ask him."

"Ask him what, what aren’t you telling me? I’m asking you because you’re right here and you already know."

"That..."

"Just tell me, I’m too curious now," I said.

"Kai ordered them to take Elara back to Duarte Village so that she could be back in time for the Female Snatching Ritual."

"What?!"

"He said that you were too emotional and distressed yesterday because of your shift, so he waited until early this morning to have her sent back..." freewebnoveℓ.com

I frowned at him and stared deep into his eyes, which he soon evaded my eyes. "I feel like you’re holding something back, tell me."

He bit his lower lip and then continued. "He said that your emotions were clouding your judgment and that it is a lead male’s job to make important decisions, while it’s a females job to stay at home, be provided for, be kept safe, and birth eggs. It is Elara’s duty to take part in the Female Snatching Ritual and there can be no exceptions. I didn’t mean to keep anything away from you. I thought that he already had a discussion about this with you last night. Please don’t dislike me," said Milo.

I balled my fists at my sides and could feel my face heating up. "We’ll just see about this! I dashed off into the woods, back towards the cabin. Or at least I thought I had ran towards the cabin but soon found that I didn’t recognize my surroundings. I tried to double back but it was no use, I was truly lost at this point. I stomped my foot in irritation and felt a slight twinge in my newly healed ankle. "Good job, Perla, throwing a fit will definitely fix the situation," I said to myself and rolled my eyes.

I took a deep breath and squinted at my surroundings, hoping that I would soon be able to recognize something. When a massive bird suddenly swooped down from above and snatched me up in its claws. It was enormous—much larger than any bird I’d ever encountered on Earth, more akin to a small dinosaur, with feathers in a bizarre mix of brown and green patterns that resembled camouflage.

Its eyes were unsettling, feral and wild, radiating a predatory intensity that sent a shiver down my spine.

KAW! The creature screeched in triumph, and I felt a surge of panic as it lifted me high above the treetops. Heights usually don’t faze me, but this was a whole different ball game. I’m perfectly fine soaring in a well-engineered plane on a clear day, but being whisked away by a colossal bird with razor-sharp talons? I went from hunting for breakfast to potentially becoming it—definitely not my idea of a good time.

In a flurry of desperation, I flapped my arms, hoping to shake loose from its grip. Because, you know, that’s a brilliant plan when you’re dangling hundreds of feet in the air. I could almost hear the bird chuckling, as if it were trying to give me a flying lesson. Sorry, feathered fiend, but I’m not exactly equipped for that kind of adventure.

My mind wandered back to the wings I had turned down earlier. Of course, I had to choose the option that would land me in this mess, and now I couldn’t even enjoy a peaceful swim in the ocean. How unfair is that? My thoughts were racing, but none of them were remotely helpful!

Glancing down at the monster gripping me, I winced as its claws dug into my skin, leaving trails of blood on my shoulders. Breathing became a struggle, and dark spots danced in my vision. Then came the hot flashes, and the world tilted around me. Fantastic, just what I needed—a panic attack to spice things up. Thanks, body!

With each wave of heat, I felt myself teetering on the edge of consciousness, but popping my emergency pills mid-flight was out of the question. Why did they have to make the bottle so tricky to open? Who thought that was a good idea? In a moment of sheer desperation, I leaned down and tried to bite the bird’s foot, but it was like gnawing on a rock. My teeth just ended up hurting. I couldn’t help but think about the other forms I could have taken—seriously, even a spider would have given me some webbing to fight back with. Perhaps it wouldn’t have been interested in eating me any longer if I transformed into a giant spider and started shooting webbing at it. I might have even been venomous and able to do something when I bit it just now. What a twist of fate!

In the throes of her panic attack, her head tilted to the side and then drooped down, and without realizing it, she slipped into unconsciousness. Her body went completely limp, giving the impression that she had perished. Yet, in that moment of surrender, she had unwittingly saved herself. The monstrous bird soared for a while before it spotted a cliff, searching for a creature rich in mana to nourish its hatchlings once they broke free from their shells. It had to journey quite a distance before discovering something that met its needs. The mana emanating from this potential meal was nothing short of extraordinary; it promised a wealth of nutrients.

The bird swooped into a cave nestled high on the cliffside. This small sanctuary had been carved out by the Rockwallib, a bird renowned for its nesting habits. Inside, the nest was a curious sight, filled with bones that had been pulverized by its powerful beak, creating a soft, sandy layer that lined the cave. In one corner, the eggs nestled comfortably in a mound of this fine powder. The ground bones still held traces of mana, which the eggs eagerly absorbed through their delicate shells. The Rockwallib unceremoniously tossed Perla atop the eggs, and they began to siphon mana from her. Unfortunately for them, she hadn’t yet undergone her first transformation, limiting the amount they could extract. Starving for mana, the Rockwallib struggled to provide for its eggs, as it lacked the finesse to channel mana effectively without directly resting on them, which would crush the fragile shells. Thus, it resorted to bringing prey to toss into the nest instead.

Typically, the Rochwallib would inflict injury on its prey at this stage to ensure it couldn’t escape, often by severing a leg or something equally gruesome. It would then feast on the leg it had removed, leaving the rest behind for its unhatched eggs. However, this particular catch seemed to be lifeless already. The bird cocked its head, curiously inspecting this odd find from various angles. For something so rich in mana, it was surprisingly fragile. Still, it was emitting enough mana to nourish its unhatched eggs, just not quite as much as it could have. Now, with this prey already out of the picture, it could set off in search of more food without the nagging worry of it making a getaway. With its decision made, the Rockwallib took off again without delay.

As the bird soared away into the horizon, disappearing from view, a certain prey, thought to be lifeless, stirred from her sleep, roused by the pangs of hunger. And oh, what a delightful scene awaited her upon waking!

Coming Next Time: The Mountain