Crashing into Another World

Chapter 23

Hello fabulous readers... it had been a while...

Enjoy

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Tawn stood over the sleeping female in his wolf form. It was dawn and Iris needed to wake so that he and Ink could start showing her how to hunt gigas over the cold season. All three of them had arrived in the grotto, set up sleeping locations and then knocked out in short order. Hence why Iris still needed to be taught all the crucial rules to survival in giga territory before any of them could begin training.

With a huff, Tawn leaned down and gave Iris a big lick from chin to hairline. The large wolf chuffed as Iris batted his muzzle away.

"I told you it'd be easier if you simply went man and woke her the normal way," Ink called out from where he prepared the morning meal.

Tawn maintained eye contact with his annoying lover as he leaned down a second time and once again gave Iris's face a slobbery lick. He found that his instincts preferred to ensure that Iris smelt like him. With the most effective methods of coating Iris with is scent off the menu, he was left only with the current course of action – licking her.

Iris woke with a shriek of disgust. "ew," she exclaimed as she wiped at her slimy face while glaring daggers at Tawn. "Why would you do this?!?"

Tawn watched her attempt to wipe his drool from her face in pride. At least now she would smell like him. Over the days of travel, he had found that he rather liked being on the receiving end of Iris's attention, regardless of the type.

"Come eat, we have a lot to discuss before we head out today" Ink said from where he still sat.

Shifting to man, Tawn ambled over to join the other male, accepting a portion and seating himself near his mate. Both males turned to watch as a grumbling Iris made her way towards them. She scrubbed at her face with her top coverings, flashing the males with tempting glimpses of her toned stomach. She plopped down across from them with a thump.

Ink handed Iris her portion before he began swallowing his own, explaining between mouthfuls. "First, before we go out hunting today, it's important that you understand a couple things about gigas. These creatures are fast, mean, and very carnivorous. They can grow to be the size of a tree, but we'll be hunting the small ones for now."

Tawn was pleased to notice that the snakeman's uncharacteristic chattiness had gained Iris's full attention. Although he missed having her eyes fixed on him, he could settle knowing that she focussed on his mate while smelling of his saliva.

While Ink swallowed a couple of uninterrupted mouthfuls, Tawn continued in his stead. "Make no mistake, even the small ones are larger than each of us and just as vicious as the giant ones."

Both males paused while Iris nodded.

"The largest of the gigas avoid densely forested areas and usually hunt in open areas further along these beaches. If you see one of the giants, you run for the forest and keep running until the trees are too close together for it to pass. None of us are ready to take one of them on."

"If they're so large, won't they just knock the trees over though?" Iris asked while chewing. Tawn could see the interest on her face as Ink described the creature they would soon be hunting and hopefully eating for dinner.

"Knocking down trees slows them down enough to discourage them from following. Their spikes also get stuck in the bark of trees, so they'll stop after they've hit a few. However, what they will do is wait for you to come out of the forest. They are incredibly patient and will wait hours. Which is why it's so important for you to stay in the forest while you circle back to this location. If you simply head back out, you might not see them until they catch you." Ink explained. "They're easy to spot while they're out on the beach, but once in the forest, they blend right in. Their scales look like bark and their feathers look like leaves."

"That said," Ink continued, "In the earlier stages of their life, they hunt and live in the forest. Which is why, even if you are running from a giant one or simply out in the forest, you always have to watch out for small gigas. A good starter trick to avoiding young gigas is to watch out for undergrowth while in sparsely forested areas. You can also look for a swinging branch covered in leaves, as the young ones can never quite keep their tail still."

Ink swallowed his last bite without chewing and gracefully raised himself onto his tail. He nodded at Tawn before slithering away to prepare for their departure, leaving Tawn to fill in any remaining details Ink may have missed.

Tawn knew that there was much more to cover on the topic but found that he didn't have the words to explain beyond simply stating, "Watch out for their claws and tail, their tail is like a spiked whip." He paused briefly before changing topics, "Otherwise, how'd you sleep?"

He watched as Iris finished chewing and swallowed her mouthful. "Good, though the glow from the minerals was a bit distracting at first." She answered as she stared in awe at the glowing formations surrounding them.

Tawn nodded. He remembered the first time he and Ink had found and slept the cave. At first it had been difficult to adapt to the ever-present lighting, but he quickly learnt to cover his eyes while he slept. "We'll make you some eye coverings to wear at night to help."

"Like a sleep mask?" Iris asked.

Cocking his head, Tawn tried to understand what she meant. He did not know what a sleep mask was. Before he could question her about it, Ink returned with a pack slung over his shoulder with Iris's bow and quiver in hand, his knives sheathed at his hips right where his flesh met with the scales of his tail.

"If you're talking so much, you both must be done eating." Ink said as he slithered passed Tawn and Iris. "Let's get going."

Tawn watched as Ink let himself out, shifting the curtain of vegetation from in front of the entrance. He openly ogled the rippling of Ink's muscles under his flesh as the male moved until he was fully out of sight.

Repressed laughter from Iris as she stood to leave the cave woke Tawn from his perusal of his mate.

Together they left the confines of the grotto and joined Ink under the light of the sunrise.

Ink passed Iris her gear, which she quickly donned, before making eye contact with Tawn. They shared a nod before Tawn shifted to wolf and they all headed towards the forests.

Once in the forest, Tawn lead at the front as they made their way to one of his favorite locations for hunting young gigas. They were solitary creatures and quickly struck out on their own very early in their life. Meaning that the chances of them encountering more than one or being teamed up against were slight.

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Thank you for reading <3

Posted June 19, 2023