Reborn as a Side Character in the Beastworld

Chapter Twenty-five

With Harvey's heavy head in my lap and Kit playfully chasing a butterfly nearby, it was my turn to ask twenty questions. Lance was lounging on his tail like a pool chair, soaking up the sun.

"Lance, you don't seem like any of the ferals I've met before. Why..." I stopped. I didn't know how to ask 'why are you so different?'.

"Why haven't I killed your cub and mates and carted you off for myself? That's what you want to know isn't it? If you've met other ferals then that is probably the consensus on our typical behavior. But, I told you already, you are interesting." He looked at me from his relaxed position.

"And when you no longer find me interesting? What will you do then?" I stroked Harvey's ears, not looking at Lance. While I doubted the stripeless snake could kill Winston, I hoped it would never have to come to a fight.

"I won't kill you if that's what you're asking. I will simply move on." He said with his eyes closed.

The fact that his answer felt so strange to me really says something about the people of this world. "And what about a mate? Have you never wanted one?"

He shrugged, "Females are usually more trouble than they are worth. They also care very little for males. Why should I care for someone who wouldn't even mourn me if I died?"

This snake was well aware of the callousness of females, "What about cubs? Have you ever thought of having your own?"

He grimaced, "Snakelets are different from your cute kit over there. We are born with the memories of our ancestors. The memories are so vivid to the point where our own identities can be swallowed up by them. Why in the Beast God's name would I ever want other versions of me running around? That just sounds horrible. There only needs to be one Lance in this world."

He truly didn't seem to give a damn about anything that other typical males would die for. He didn't care about reproducing or females. He only cared about what was interesting and when it was no longer interesting, he'd go find something else to pique his curiosity. What a strange male.

I giggled a little, "I feel lucky to have met the singular existence that is Lance."

"As you should." He replied smugly and chuckled.

We sat in comfortable silence for a time, Lance warming his internal body temperature, me petting Harvey's ears both to comfort him and myself, and Kit who had moved on to following ants.

About an hour later, Lance brought me some water at my request. I was thirsty but I didn't want to leave Harvey's side.

Just as he was leaning down to set a bowl next to me, a roar from behind us tore through the peaceful forest. A blur of white shot out from behind the tree and went straight for Lance, knocking him back a few feet.

A white tiger, MY white tiger had finally come but had seen the collapsed Harvey and myself and viewed the feral as an imminent threat. Winston used his front claws to hang on to the swiftly reacting snake as he used his back paws to rip at the scales. He bit at any soft flesh he could find. Lance's tail was swiftly wrapping around Winston's middle and began to squeeze.

It had happened so quickly that I'd had no time to react. No time to say anything and now they were both working to kill the other. Lance's upper half changed to be fully reptilian, and he bit into Winston's shoulder.

And suddenly, it wasn't Winston and Lance that were fighting, but Ryan and a scorpion crushing his ribs.

I couldn't breathe. I had stood when the fighting began but now dropped to my knees as my head swam and bile rose. As the two males tried to kill each other, I willed the image of Ryan from my mind. I replaced the fear and sadness I felt with rage. Rage that males killed each other so damn easily. Rage that I was too weak to intervene. Rage that I was their excuse for violence.