Though alone, I'm also free. Now that Suki is hopefully further away, I won't have to worry as much about these intruders attacking my back. Moving my stiff shoulders around, I feel a pleasurable crack running from my shoulders to the end of my back as I wait for the first foolish beast to strike.

--- - --- - change of scenery - --- - ---

In between Wyatt's lonely fight and Suki's den can be found some of the warriors of the Clear Lake Tribe fighting off what they hope would be the last of the enemy located in their area.

Noticing the dwindling numbers of their enemies, a huge black bear beastmen filled with deep old scars around his neck lets out a furious growl as an answer to Wyatt's grizzly battle cry.  Believing that Suki would be left even more unprotected, his black eyes quickly search for the leopard beastmen known as Leo.

There! Not to far off is the stupid cat fighting off two cougars. Taking a closer look, he notices that Leo has a comrade but this one is currently lying behind him, injured... Think about protecting your own female first!! Angrily thinks Vick as he slams his body into a tired maned wolf, thus breaking it's long leg. Taking advantage of his size and weight, Vick keeps bull dozing his way toward the stupid cat's battle. Snort, if that's what he calls a battle... that cat's going to need some more training when we're done!

Sensing an alpha males killing intent, the two cougars who were about to win in getting a hold of that tiringly annoying leopard beastmen's limbs, immediately froze to search for that male. Though they knew the significance of distracting the enemy to win it, they also had a high sense of wanting to save their own life okay! For that alpha bear beastmen that is currently stomping his way toward them, they have witnessed how he easily ripped their comrades' limbs from their body. In no way would they want that gruesome death!

Leo, ignoring Vick's well known frustrated aura, took the chance of the two buffoons' frozen bodies to slash his claws around the closest cougar beast's neck. Finally, the killing move was made yet it wasn't over since it could take some time for him to die. Surprisingly, the cougar beast, instead of fleeing, stood still in front of Leo and looked at him with petrified pleading yellow eyes. Leo, acknowledging the likely fate of this male to Vick's ruthful way of killing, lunged his sharp teeth toward the enemy's neck and with a hard bite, he completely finished him off. As for his comrade, well, let's say he tried to run off after Leo's first attack on the other male, but was soon obliterated by the now refreshed bloodied black bear beastmen.

Giving the beast a quick nod, the leopard beastmen commenced searching to get into another battle when Vick lowly growled at him in annoyance and nodded his head toward the village.

Suki!

Wanting to facepalm in shame and embarrassment for forgetting about his own female, the leopard beastmen did a whole body shake followed by a quick run after Vick toward what he presumes to be Wyatt's snarls.

--- - --- - change of scenery - --- - ---

By this time Suki, Adan, and Radu have finally arrived at the village along with other females, some of their males, some warriors, and two healers.

Similar to how elephants defend their young, all females and their cubs were placed safely inside one of the largest tents located in the middle of the village while on the outside stood alert their males and further outside stood the warrior battling the enemy away. Next to the large tent laid the injured males tended by Healer Liam and his apprentice.

At one side of the large tent lies Suki with her mother and three of her younger brothers.

"Mother, where's Josh? I'm sure I scented him when we arrived?"

As Lucy told her only daughter how her hatchling got injured on the way here and how he is now being protected by his father outside the tent. The oldest female of the group steadily began walking to the middle of the tent with her shoulders back and head held up.

Ahum. The chattering continues. "I said AHUM!" grumbles shout Nancy as she stomps a morphed bear beast foot to the ground. Besides the low whimpering, silence filled the tent.

Letting out a snort, Nancy opens her mouth while giving each female a calm stare. "As some of you know, we are being attacked by two different types of beastmens. The cat-like beasts are known as cougars, while the long legged dog-like beasts are called maned wolves... "

Pausing, Nancy silently counts the females found inside the tent. "We are, for now (mutters), missing two of our females; Natasha, daughter of Jazz, and Sheila, the Unique One."

I gasp. I knew that this attack somehow was related to Sheila but how did they catch the quick Natasha? Unless, did she fight back? Did she cross paths with Sheila and tried to protect her? What of my brothers? My trembling eyes quickly scan over the females to find a standing light colored brown hair female who is staring angrily at the entrance of the tent, Jazz.

"Females listen up! We, the elders of this tribe, believe that the enemy came from a southern region. Specifically, from our past traveling, we came across the maned wolf beasts that are from there and are known as a peaceful tribe. Contrary to them, the cougar beasts, who can also live in the southern area, are known as the warriors of the Ape Clan."

A light colored female with medium wavy dark brown hair narrows her eyes at the elder's information, "are you saying that the sly Ape Clan are the ones who decided to attack our tribe?" 

Folding her arms before her, Nancy quietly nods, "there is a big probability that they are the ones behind the attack."

A honey colored skin female takes a step back, "why? Didn't we have a peaceful treaty with them? Unless.."

Gasping, Elena, who stood beside her mother mutters out loud, "throughout history they were always after her."

Letting a small smile at the young female's remembrance of Liam's class. Nancy announces, "listen quietly for I won't repeat this ever again," and begins to solemnly look at the shock and worried faces of the mothers and future mothers of the Clear Lake Tribe. In a quiet hollowed voice, the elder repeats what's been told to her by her own mother so long long ago.

"Of skin so frail,

Of a weak body,

Yet her womb never fails,

She is of the Unique One's embody."

After a few seconds of silence and recognition, the females began to fidget.

"She mated with Hayes, so she's probably pregnant," lowly whispers Lucy as she tightly hugs her three sons who kept staring attentively at a side of the tent where they could hear the little painful moans of their brother.

I've been training her to run... So how! How, with all our protection, did she get caught? Letting out a long tired sigh, while placing my head on my mother's shoulder I then began to think back on all the books I've read in my past life. So cliche. The female lead is loved by the world yet hunted by those who live in it. And we, as bystanders, no, some of us cannon fodders, end up being in trouble or damaged because of that.

Closing my eyes, while breathing in my mothers and brother's scent, my mind wanders over to Sheila's smile. Her innocent smile filled with wonder and curiosity toward our beastmen, to her cries of finally realizing she may not be able to see her family anymore, next I can somewhat remember some of her smart snarky comments directed at Radu and ironically enough to Natasha as well, and finally her joyfully blushing face appears while looking at her first and only male. It's not her fault. 

Yes, it's not her fault. My hand turns into a fist and trembles in anger at this situation while my mind backtracks to worry toward those I care about in this world. Please live.

Chapter originally written and published on December 02, 2021 in Wa tt pa d. Time: 18:56