Rise Of The Beast Queen: Elizabeth

Ch 11 Weight = Beauty

After another intense make out session, Liz commissioned Jin to make a lid for the stone pot, while she spent the rest of the morning washing her clothes, then making a bone and egg broth for an early lunch before they had to meet in the center of the tribe for the 'welcoming' ceremony.

When they arrived Liz was astounded to see a tall wooden tower constructed out of thick tree trunks, in the middle of a grassy field. 'Ok, so they think fire is some sort of demon but they know how to stack trees into a giant Jenga game!?!' Liz thought as they made their way towards the tower where there was a huge crowd of people waiting. Even before they got close all eyes were already fixed on Liz and it didn't take her long to notice they were all males, not a single female was mixed into the massive group, there must have been at least 300 of them.

The males stared at her with barely contained desire shining in their eyes but somehow managed to restrain themselves and parted like the sea, creating a clear path for Jin to carry the timid little Liz, who was trying to hide herself in his arms, to the bottom of the tower where Tabby, Chief Leon, Serena and Hank were waiting.

"Welcome Liz. I am so pleased to accept you as a member of the Fierce Claw Tribe." Tabby said and stepped forward with a beaming smile stretched across her face.

"Uhh... Thank you." Liz was a little slow on the uptake, overwhelmed by her nerves since all eyes were on her.

"All the females are eager to meet you before the ceremony, since you'll be to busy with your mate's afterwards." Tabby explained excitedly.

"Ohh... Wait, what?" Liz asked in confusion but Tabby didn't seem to hear her as she grabbed Liz by the hand and practically drug her over to where 5 other females were waiting, each surrounded by a group of males. Most of those males were completely ignoring Liz and were solely focused on doating on their female, some were being used as a chair, others were holding up huge leafs to shade their female, while others were holding different types of food and feeding it to the...well fed females. All of them were at least some level of fat, but none were as obese looking as Tabby, 'Maybe that's why she's the most beautiful in the tribe.' Liz harshly thought with a cruel inward giggle, little did she know that she was partially correct.

Three of the females were impure females. The two other pure females had arrogant looks on their faces as they sneared at Liz like she was an insect unworthy of being in their presence.

"This is Seara and Teela, our other two pure females. Everyone this is Liz, the new young pure female who was sheltered by her last tribe before coming to us." Tabby introduced a little too enthusiastically, obviously ignoring the impure females.

"Did they starve you, you poor thing. Is that why your so thin?" Seara asked, she's a fox female and has brownish red hair much like Tabby but a little brighter red, she had a little chunk going on but still had a nice waist and the angles of her eyes gave her a sharp mischievous look that was really alluring.

"No one starved me. I'm supposed to be this size..." Liz tried to explain but Seara scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"Is that what they told you? That you should only be this small?" Teela asked giving her a pitying look.

"What do you mean." Liz asked confused.

"They probably only said that to ensure there was enough food for your beast mother. Your previous tribe must not have been very powerful." Tabby said and pat her shoulder with a remorseful look.

"What?..." Liz was still thoroughly confused and looked back and forth between the pitiful looks everyone was giving her, even Jin, but he oddly turned his head away when their eyes locked, leaving Liz a little hurt by his actions.

"All the males in my tribe are good hunters so you won't have to worry. Your mates will make sure you're fed well." Tabby reassured and all the males around seemed to agree with a round of light growls and determined expressions on their faces.

"Uhmm... Uhh..." Liz glanced once more at Jin, who still didn't look at her, though she noticed the muscle in his jaw working as he clenched his teeth. "Really, no one starved me. There was plenty of food. I really am only supposed to be this size. My doctor... Uhh... Healer even said I could stand to lose a few pounds."

"No!" Jin exclaimed gaining everyone's attention, he looked about as comfortable as Liz felt having all eyes on him. "You... You will be well fed and healthy from now on. I will see to it." He assured, staring right into Liz's eyes and it melted her heart, making her smile and reach out to hold his hand, relieved he was acting a little more normally again, though she was completely oblivious to Tabby's glare directed at Jin for this display of affection.

"It doesn't matter what they told you. We females have to be well fed or how would we survive the cold season when there isn't enough to eat?" Seara chimed in with a condescending tone.

"Right, at the start of every cold season Teela is beautiful, but once the cold season ends she looks starved and thin. She'd never survive eating less." Tabby agreed.

"Really? What race are you?" Liz asked looking at Teela curiously.

"I'm a bear." Teela said quietly with a shy blush painting her cheeks.

"Oh! That makes so much sense. So do you sleep all winter... I mean during the cold season?"

"Not... Not the entire cold season, but I get really tired easily... How did you know?" She asked

"Its just one of the things I've heard about bears, but I wasn't sure..." If it's the same for beast people, she wanted to say but quickly corrected herself. "If it was true." Liz said instead with a smile trying to cover up her near slip of the tongue.

"Yes. The colder it gets the more tired I get." Teela nodded and explained.

"Hmm. So if you stay warm will you stay awake longer?" Liz asked, feeling her interest perk and grateful for the distraction.

"I... I guess..." Teela answered as a light blush began seeping into her cheeks. "Sometimes I can stay awake longer if I mate. Do you know any other way for me not to sleep so much during the cold season?" Teela asked with a desperate look on her face.

"Oh... well... uhh... What's wrong with sleeping during to cold season?" Liz was dumbfounded by her bold proclamations in front of literally the entire tribe, but was also curious and confused by Teela's sudden desperation.

"Well... Umm... My males get worried..." Teela began while she fidget nervously with her fur skirt, but she was interrupted.

"We don't have time for your nonsense now it's time to start the choosing ceremony." Tabby scolded making Teela shrink back fearfully.

"It's ok. We'll talk about it later. I'm sure we can figure something out." Liz said and pat Teela on the shoulder with a doting smile, which the girl halfway returned with a hopeful glint in her eyes. "I look forward to getting to know each of you." She said and looked at each of the females, including the impure females standing off to the side like they weren't welcome to be part of the conversation. Liz had seen a similar scene between Tabby and Serena the day before, which made her wonder if they treated all impure females like second class citizens, but that was something she could figure out later.