Paz

Chapter 5

"Hey, you alright?" Celeste asked while snapping her fingers in my face again, "Come back to us, Bug."

"Bug?" Seefe chuckled, "That's a new one." She had a playful smile while laughing.

"Oh, whatever, I do what I can." Celeste shrugged. "Anyway, she needs a place to sleep, love."

The woman nodded and looked at me once again. "Got a name?"

"Paz..." I repeated the same way, still stunned from rejection. I should have known she already had someone. A girl that good looking must've already been taken.

Seefe smiled warmly, her wings slightly extending in what I could only guess was greeting, but came off as more intimidating than friendly.

"Well, Paz," she finally said, "I'll get you set up ASAP, just let me finish what I'm doing, and we'll find you a tent."

I internally shuddered. Tent? I had run away costantly from that stupid orphanage, sure, but always made it to a town before nightfall. I had never camped a day in my life.

"Don't worry," Seefe said as if reading my mind, "it's not as bad as you think. I'll be in here if you need anything, it'll take a bit of time to put everything in order. Go make friends."

The other one nodded in agreement and showed me the door - well, flap - and I reluctantly left to face whatever was before me.

The clearing looked more populated now. It seemed like everyone was taking a break for a moment to bask in the afternoon sun. From the corner of my eye I noticed a teenager by one of the firepits (looked like chameleon hybrid) entertaining the younger ones by changing colors rapidly, from red to blue to green with purple polka dots. People walked and played and held long conversations. But before I could embrace my surroundings any further, someone stopped in front of me.

"So, another stiff, huh?"

I looked up and found a boy probably a bit older than me, and much bigger. He stood about half a foot taller than me and had pointy goatlike horns and ears to match, dark skin, and milky white hair shaved into some kind of mohawk I think. Along with all of this, he wore a cheeky grin to contrast well with it. I wanted to punch that smirk right off of his smug face, but I knew that I wasn't strong enough.

The boy asked again. "Hey, anything in there? Or are you too stupid to speak?"

"Cool it, Pagan Min." I snapped back, and for the first time since trying, I managed to spread my wings in attempt to look bigger.

He scowled. "What did you just call me?"

"You heard perfectly well what I called you." I leaned in close to his face, ready to run at any sign of danger. He made a motion to hit me, but just as he raised his palm, someone else's caught it at the last second.

"Calm down, man. That's no way to treat the new kid." The new one said calmly.

Goat-kid growled and took his hand back before storming off angrily, pushing me back on his way out. Douchebag.

"Sorry about that, Sahir can be a bit hard to handle sometimes."

I examined the new boy carefully to make sure I could trust him. Unlike Sahir, his hair was jet black, and he looked like a panda-human hybrid, the black and white ears peeking through his unkept hair. He had eyes as dark as his hair, which squinted as he smiled widely and held out his had.

"I don't remember my real name, but everyone calls me Asia... Like the band." He rubbed the back of his neck slightly.

I nodded and took his hand. "I'm Paz."