Surviving the Beastworld

Chapter 5

This is Alan I found this picture on Pinterest.

Laughers and chatting filled their ears when they first entered the city; Jade looked at all the citizens who were going by their business with interest and bewilderment.

"I don't see any women here," Jade muttered as she saw the beastmen that came in different shapes and sizes. Occasionally, she sees a few baby animals running around between people without a care in the world. "Just men and animals. Also, there are mostly white people here."

"Hm?" Alan flicked his eyes over at the crowd with disinterest. "In this city those with disfigurement or different skin colors are usually cast out as defects. The same goes for males that are ill-temper or disobedient. The only reason why you see a few in here is because they were lucky to be accepted by a female."

"That's gross," Jade muttered, wrinkling her nose at the information she received. Looking at the happy men, she could not help but imagine those poor beastmen rejected harshly and thrown into the wilderness against their will. Forcing them to desperately look for someone who can love them or die trying. "It shouldn't be that way."

"That is just how life is," Alan said dismissively before smiling happily when he thought of something. "Hey, let's check out the markets to see if they have anything we can sample."

'He is not bothered by it all.' Jade looked at the man as he tugged her towards a fruit stand. She bit her tongue as she wondered how often Alan might have dealt with something like that, how heartbroken he was when rejected. Soon, an old memory of when she was young flashed through her mind.

'How filthy.' A beautiful, elegant, tan-skinned man said in disgust and anger. Even though she could not see his eyes because of his blindfold, the way his face distorted in rage chilled her to the bone. He held his finger in her direction. Her body shook as she watched with dread as the tip of his finger began to glow light blue.

Something was stuffed into her mouth, snapping her back to reality. The taste of something sweet and sticky made her hum in delight—a tiny smile formed as she ate.

"It's good, right?" Alan said childishly as he held up a small clay pot filled with small chunky balls with honey-coated. "This is the first time I have eaten something like this."

"It is," Jade agreed, suppressing the old memory, not wanting to deal with it. She picked another one up to eat. "Where did you get this from?"

"Over there," Alan said as he pointed a thumb toward the left, where a scared beastman was shaking at his booth. "He was kind enough to give me this for free."

'I don't even want to know why he's like that.' Jade sighed as she shook her head at the sight.

Alan's mood was ruined when he noticed a group of beastmen was coming their way. He snarled at them, revealing his slightly pointed teeth as a warning not to get any closer.