Betrayal of Beasts

Chapter 3: Your Way of Apologizing

  Marcie regretted ever thinking that these two were remotely okay. Because they weren't. At all. Why?

First, Feris. This dude was a werewolf to begin with. Albeit an allegedly seemingly harmless one (his combat skills were average— still too low to be a threat), he was a horrible explorer. He couldn't use a map for his life. And he was so, horribly, stupidly oblivious at everything! He had no knowledge about the forest at all!

"I'm kind of hungry." Feris frowned. "But I found some of these mushrooms— as long as we boil them, they're safe, right? Or is that not how it works?"

Even Willis facepalmed. Marcie stared at him in utter disbelief.

"No? But isn't it like, you boil it to kill the bacteria, right? So all of the poisonous bacteria on the mushroom, um, dies..." He waved his hands nervously.

"How the fuck would you survive in this place without Willis?" She groaned. "Don't eat them unless you want to die."

Feris frowned. "I'm still hungry."

"Then starve. You have to ration food, you know. Willis, how much do you let this guy eat?"

"Just his regular ration per day. I don't give him mine. I save it."

Both vampires looked at Feris with disappointment, and he shrunk under their gaze. Willis sighed, attractively sweeping his hair to the side and rubbing his temples.

"Feris, are you serious? It's not the bacteria on the mushroom! Although that could make you sick if you don't wash them... it's the mushrooms themselves. They create toxins that can affect even the strongest of werewolves or vampires can get poisoned by. And that's just normal mushrooms! Don't get me started on magical mushrooms..." he rambled, tired of Feris' stupidity.

"Were you like, one of those noble werewolves who lived a sheltered life? Surely the Werewolf Modgnik kingdom's education taught something about the forest." The raven haired girl snickered, her judging eyes looking him up and down. Feris frantically shook his head.

"N-no! It's just that uh, I didn't really pay attention. You know? School is so boring." He rubbed his neck.

"I didn't even go to school, insensitive prick."

"Oh. That's— I didn't mean to!"

Then the spongy, flat, leaf-covered ground suddenly made a splch! sound... instead of the expected soft tap. Marcie and Willis looked down, noticing this with their keen senses. Willis froze, while Marcie's eyes widened. Feris' eyes trailed to where they were looking— and saw his ankle-length boots slowly sinking into a disgusting grey-brown goop.

"What the fuck?!" Feris shrieked. He tried to pull his leg out, but the muddy substance stuck, throwing off his balance. He panicked, flailing around like a wet baby chicken.

"STOP MOVING!" Marcie yelled. "You'll sink faster if you do!"

"Hold on, I only got one leg stuck, let me get out first and I'll help you guys!" said Willis, and carefully maneuvered his leg out of the mud, hoping not to sink in further. Unfortunately, Feris continued to panic, affecting the area that Marcie was also sliding into. Marcie cursed under her breath in frustration. Is this goddamn werewolf trying to fucking KILL ME?

Marcie really didn't know what had come over her to believe that these guys, or at least Feris, was trustworthy. 'Not so horrible,' as she quoted her own thoughts. "You fucking dumbass, stop flailing your legs around! You're going to kill both of us here!" She snarled.