Wanderlust Beastkin, Beauty and the Beastkin

Beth’s Perspective

The man guided us to the rear of one of the buildings, and we stepped into a courtyard surrounded by a high stone wall. There, before us, was a small woman with aged skin, wispy white hair, sharp ears, and a hunched figure, her large black and brown wings unfurling behind her. Her glowing silver eyes seemed to pierce right through me, and a shiver crept down my spine, making me acutely aware that we were in serious danger.

She had on one of those blue and white robes that seemed to be the uniform for everyone else, but hers was different—an empire style with a tie and a bow just below her chest, unlike the plain ones the men wore.

As she approached the cage, four imposing men surrounded her, all dressed in the same blue and white robes, their black scorpion tails swaying ominously. They wore white cloth hats and scarves that hid their faces, leaving only their piercing red eyes visible.

When she glanced at the women inside the cage, I felt exposed, like a piece of meat being scrutinized under her sharp gaze.

"Aye, I shall take all the females save for this wretched twig, too frail to serve any purpose. And as for that one, her stature raises questions, she’s diminutive as well, she cackled while jabbing a finger in my direction. "Tell me, little female can you read?"

I hesitated, my mind racing as I tried to figure out how to reply. I wasn’t entirely sure if I could read their language, but somehow, their meaning seemed clear enough so perhaps I could. Still, I felt a knot in my stomach at the thought of being seen as useful. I really didn’t want to end up in a situation where I could be sold, and it felt like that was exactly where this was going.

Then, I saw Gert, our captor, move to the other side of the cage. Before anyone could react, his tail shot out, piercing the small girl the old lady had refused to buy right through her chest. She crumpled to the floor of the cage, lifeless, and the other women erupted in screams, some even retching in horror.

"Ah, splendid indeed! Here I stand with a wretched cage brimming with females, all besmirched with their own vomit. Pray, do me the courtesy of sparing the remnants until I have departed with my spoils next time."

She spoke to us as if we were nothing more than objects. It was terrifying to see how easily he took a life without a second thought. Was Elara even still alive? They seemed so accustomed to this that maybe she was already gone. Honestly, I would rather be sold than face the horror of being pierced by a scorpion’s tail. Nancy and I need to explore this place and figure out how to get away.

"I can read and know a lot about different topics, plus I can do complex math," I said quickly, my voice trembling a bit.

She threw a simple math question my way, and I answered it, feeling a wave of relief when she seemed pleased. But then I started sharing more advanced calculations, and I caught a glimpse of greed in her eyes, realizing I might have overstepped.

"I will take her as well."

"Her price is ten times more because I can find that deal somewhere else," our captor replied.

Her lips were pinched and she glared at him and then let out a sigh. "Very well!"

She gestured towards one of the scorpion men lurking in the shadows, "You there, see to the arrangements, and you two, escort the females to the head lady’s chamber, so they may choose the wenches they desire for their ranks. As for you," she croaked, directing her bony finger, with a grotesquely elongated and curved nail, at the last scorpion fellow, "come here and keep a firm grip on that one," indicating me with a sinister flick. "Should she slip away, your very life shall hang in the balance."

He walked over to the cage door and Gert handed over the key to the other scorpion who turned it and curled his fingers toward me. "Come here little female, you won’t like what’ll happen if I have to come in there after you," he said in a deep and raspy voice that didn’t seem like it should come from anyone aside from the grim reaper.

I swallowed hard as Nancy’s eyes widened, gripping me tightly as if her very life depended on it, ready to fight against whatever was coming. I wrapped my arms around her in a comforting hug, but then gently pulled her hands away.

"Everything will be okay, just stay calm and I promise I’ll find you as soon as I can. Please, just follow the rules while I’m gone. I can’t bear the thought of coming back to find something terrible has happened to you. And keep an eye out for Perla; she might be nearby," I whispered softly in her ear.

She nodded slightly, squeezing me tightly in return before taking a shaky breath and letting it out slowly. "You be safe too," she murmured back.

The ancient crone gazed upon the motionless female sprawled at the base of the cage. "I will acquire the lifeless female for half the asking price."

A man approached Gert and handed him a brown pull-string bag. Gert weighed it in his hand, bouncing it slightly, and then nodded, saying, "This will do."

I took a hesitant step forward, but Nancy’s arm shot out, gripping the hem of my white shirt tightly. I squeezed her hand gently and whispered, "Stay low, I’ll find you."

"Okay," she replied, releasing me as I moved toward the intimidating scorpion guy, trying to appear calm. Suddenly, he hoisted me onto his back like I was nothing more than a sack of groceries. I wanted to scream and thrash, but I bit my lip, my fists clenching and unclenching behind him. The urge to fight back was strong, but I held it in.

As I was carried away, I caught a glimpse of the cage being locked shut again, the other men dragging it in the opposite direction from where I was being taken.

"I’ll be at the inn. You can drop my cage off there after you settle the females," Gert called out, walking away without looking back.

I guess they have to do this regularly, but why do they need so many girls? And what could that creepy woman possibly want with a dead girl? It’s terrifying to think I could have been that girl, too. Hah! Thank goodness for math; my parents would be so proud of me for that.

As I was slung over the guy’s shoulder, I tried to keep track of where Nancy was taken. We would find each other again, and then we’d search for Perla and escape this nightmare. It’s so dangerous here!

Before I knew it, we reached our destination. When we stepped through the door, I was shocked to see I was brought into a room made of cold gray stone. It was just one room, with tall barred windows that looked like a ladder. In the middle, there was a big round tub filled with fragrant water, topped with deep red flowers that resembled azaleas but smelled like honeysuckle.

In the room, there were four women dressed in identical robes, standing stiffly with their heads slightly bowed and hands crossed at their waists. Their posture looked uncomfortable, but it seemed to show respect.

"This one will be cleaned by you three. Speak your name, female!" cackled the ancient hag.

"Beth."

"You will tend to Beth, who, it seems, must also be schooled in the ways of proper manners."

I really wanted to say something, but I just couldn’t bring myself to. It took a lot of nerve for her to say I needed manners.

I was suddenly yanked around and unceremoniously set on my feet, the loud crack of my knee echoing in the air. I barely held back a groan. Did he really have to be so rough?

"Ah, it seems the female is far more delicate than I had reckoned. We must tend to this matter, in case his Majesty develops a fondness for the wee creature and accidentally breaks his new little toy in two." She let out another cackle.

She looked me over again, and I felt an overwhelming urge to find something to hide behind. There was something deeply unsettling about that old woman; perhaps it was her sharp silver eyes, but every instinct in me screamed that she was dangerous, and I needed to stay away from her. Yet, right now, I had no way to escape her presence. What did she want with the dead girl? What were they planning for me? Who was this Majesty they kept talking about, and why did I have to be cleaned up and prepared before meeting him? Why was it even necessary for me to meet him at all? Where were they taking Nancy, and why did I need to get in shape if this Majesty happened to take an interest in me? My mind was racing with so many questions...

Coming Next Time: Last Night Before Entering Duarte Village