Beastly Beauty

Chapter 8 : Bloody Battle

Raed, who had been watching the whole scene clean up her mess before it could cause a riot. He felt obligated to do it since he's the one who had brought her in with them.

"Thanks brother. I didn't know you cared for her this much."

"I'm not. She reminds me of my sister."

"Right. I'm sorry."

"No need. Since she's got herself two mates this fast. I don't need to worry anymore. You'd better find somewhere to settle down. Good luck with the future."

"Grrrrr... You don't have to remind me of the obvious. You're also suspicious of her origin right? I'll accept as many as she wants for her safety. Come back safely. I'll welcome you myself."

"That's a promise brother."

"I won't go back on my words."

* * * * * * * * * *

Her shiny blue scales glittering in the daylights, reflecting blueish spots all over the place. Her middle length thick wavy brown hair looks longer and straight as it's sticking to her small figure which was dripping heavily with water from her bath.

She will never accept me... she's so beautiful and capable. She can protect herself well even against a three stripes like me. Will I be abandoned...?

An overwhelming emotion rushed onto me. A mixture of agitation, rage, despair yet determined were roiling together causing a chaotic feeling. What is this strange foreign feeling? Why would I suddenly feel like this? Is this from her? But she's just taking a bath! What could possibly trigger her mood like this...?

As if summoned by her, my aching body obeyed her calling. I absentmindedly moved towards her and was kneeling exactly in front of her right now. I lowered my head to the ground, not daring to meet her dangerously beautiful brown eyes.

"I'm sorry for the accident. I didn't mean to force anyone into my pack. If you don't like me, just tell the truth now and I'll find a way to set you free."

"I... I'm grateful... if... if you'll accept me. I'll do my best to serve you."

"Ssserve me...? Hmmm... I'm sure I'll need you... a lot~~ I'll just call you Nix. Train hard and make yourself available at all timesss..."

The hissing in her last words sent shivers to my spine. It sounds so sinister, yet so seductive... It's so deliciously tempting. Maybe... just maybe... if I work hard enough, I'll earn her trust and be a worthy mate that she's proud of? Yesss, I'll follow her and be a loyal one. I'm hers now... I shouldn't listen to others. No matter what, she's my mate now... My queen, my life.

* * * * * * * * * *

The merchants were getting restless, they thought the journey was too easy and won't help them level up at all... finally, their peaceful walks through the snake lands were ultimately broken by an ambush. A group of wild wolves ran through their ranks, the group of merchants carrying their bundles were bitten and the goods were seized, plundered... while the three mateless females were surrounded by another group of battle-scarred beastmen. The females were too stunned by the horrendous scars on the incoming beastmen to even react to anything, they just stood there encircled by their flocks of admirers, their benefactors.

Helen and another female were perfectly safe with their own respective males. Rhea was lucky that day as she had decided to walk beside Helen, so she had the added protection of her group's males along with her own mates. The fights were vicious and cruel, the wild wolves left none of their marked prey alive. They chased the unlucky soul like a game of cat and mouse. The prey would be caught and bitten then released up till they were almost out of reach and were hunted. The process was repeated again and again until the prey can no longer lift their limbs or their bodies were shredded alive.

Aethon and Raed whose childhood had gone through the memories of a raided village were stirred by the situation. As they were travelling in their beasts form, they immediately stood guard. Their eyes and ears scanned their surroundings wildly for any escape routes. It started to rain with the bodies of the unidentified, the bird beastmen of the merchants were swooping in to catch their enemies and released them midair, killing them with heights. The mateless females were screaming their lungs out upon seeing the fallen bodies from above. Brains, lungs, intestines, and other internal organs splattered on the ground. One by one the females were whisked to safety.

Helen and her friend had long been scurried away from the battlefield. Raed has lost his mind and was running amok in the midst of chaos, killing the wild wolves who crossed paths with him. Rhea whose blood was boiling from witnessing the cruelty from the cat and mouse game earlier, lost her rationality and released her wild and ugly side. She joined Raed and bit anyone trying to get close to her with her poisonous fangs, she even jumped nonchalantly on some of the enemies to get a better hold so as not to miss her target. Nix just followed her blindly and would sometimes deliberately send some easy prey her way, letting her enjoy the kill. The males from the caravan just looked at her with awe and mixed feeling, their pride and ego as males were hurt.

Aethon, worried for his mate's safety growled for Nix to take her to the air... away from the turmoil. He made a mental note to reprimand the owl later for encouraging their mate with her careless behaviour. They were supposed to protect females! Not exposing them to danger! He huffed angrily and swatted some unlucky b*stard. With Aethon finally joining the battle and slamming some tight circle of enemies, the merchants swiftly take the opening to counterattack. Somewhere in the shadows... a pair of glinting eyes were fixated on the blood-sprayed female from when the battle started till she had disappeared from view. Soon the battle ended.

However, it resulted with casualties on the merchants' side as they were not prepared for the attacks and lots of their goods were damaged or stolen. They decided to gather whatever they could salvage and continued their journey anyway. Any beasts that can move followed through while the badly injured ones were left behind. They needed to move faster to a safer place since they're not familiar with the route. There were some dramas and some opposed to the suggestion but The Wandering Merchants successfully travelled through the land of the Snake Ravines and made their way to a tribe that lives near the ocean.