The Return of the Beast Princess

Chapter 9 - Til We Meet Again

The group of abandoned beast men left, carrying the poisoned on their backs back to the waterfalls. Theo looked at the beautiful female one last time before he reluctantly followed the group.

I promise, we will meet again. I will find you....

When the last of them were out of her sight, Asha heaved a deep sigh and slowly step on the ground. The vines slowly crawl away and got the arrows that were stuck on the ground.

She slowly knelt on the ground and put her palms on it and as soon as she touches it, green aura began to surround the ground. The place where the dead rhino and beast man slowly sunk and the soil covers them completely. Grass grew to cover the soil like it has been there all along.

"I'm sorry for the mess Old Harac. I couldn't help myself but fight back," she whispers in a tone only the tree and herself can hear.

"My beautiful Asha, never be sorry when you need to do things like these so you can protect yourself. They came here with evil intentions. Good begets good, evil begets evil. That is how it is. They are good fertilizer for us though...."

She smiles as she shakes her head. The branch that held her before reached for her again and she stood on it. A vine taps her shoulder and as she looks at it, it was giving her all the arrows that she used earlier. She took them all and puts it back in her quiver. The vine bloomed a gorgeous red flower and puts it behind her ear.

"Thank you. You all always have been good to me, even the plants and trees in my world. Thank you for always looking out for me."

She gently pats the vine before it returned underground. The branch brought her up and let her reach the top of the cliff. She steps out and look at her surroundings, it was the land atop the waterfalls and trees still cover the whole area.

"My beautiful Asha, there will be a small village if you follow the river. I will spread the news of your departure so the trees, plants and flowers will know that Old Harac's friend should be guided and protected."

Asha held the branch on her hand and smiles, "I will explore this world as you advised. And when I'm able to know what I should do, I'll go back here and tell you stories of my adventure around the beast world."

"Hahahaha do that beautiful female, do exactly that. I, we will all wait for your return. No need to hurry. The more you wander, the more stories we can hear from you. Be careful. May our Mother Gaia show you the way and guide you to safety."

The branch patted her head softly before it retracts and go back to its original position. Asha left and followed the upstream of the river.

Til we meet again, my beautiful Asha. Til we meet again.

~~~

Asha reached the river Old Harac told her about. She walked along the upstream stretch of the river and continued to observe her surroundings.

The trees are still as tall as Old Harac, but there were more flowers and herbs along the path she treks. It was getting hot too. She still don't know how the weather works here. If there would be two or four seasons. If it's the same on her world.

Relatively, it's hot during the day and cold during the night. She wonders if there are more than one sun in here for she have seen four moons last night.

This world is weird. I need to see how beast men lives to give me an idea what civilization they are living now.

Not far from her was Dumu. He decided to follow the female even if from afar. The look that that lion gave her before leaving tells him that he will soon look for her again. So to keep her safe, he'll follow her and watch.

What Dumu didn't know is that Asha knows he was following her. She's beginning to get pissed for every time she'll look at his direction, he will hide behind the trees.

"I know you are following me Dumu. Leave me alone."

She continued walking and feeling her surroundings. And yes, Dumu started following her, again.

"Aren't you with those group of beast men? Did Theo told you to follow me?"

"No. No one told me to follow you. And I do not know them."

"So why were you with them when they came to see me? You thought I didn't know that you were hiding back there? Go back with them. I prefer to be alone."

"I heard one of them say that they smell a female staying at the waterfalls. I got worried that it might be you so I followed them secretly."

"So it ended up being me after all. Now you know that it was me, you can leave. Stop following me."

"I am not following you."

Asha stopped and faced Dumu that made him stop as well. She raised an eyebrow at him as she looks at him from head to tail.

This snake beast is an exhibitionist and likes to show off his ripped body and two cocks. At least Theo has the decency to cover up his private part. Argh! My eyes are getting dirty again....

"You're not?"

"I am not."

"I'll go this way. Goodbye."

She continued walking but Dumu started slithering towards her direction again and this time, he's not even hiding anymore.

"You are following again Dumu."

"No I am not."

"You are."

She stopped and looked back at him. Dumu slithers closer to her and passed her by. She didn't continue walking until he disappeared from her view.

Well I guess he is not.

It was starting to get dark so she scanned the area for a nearby cave and saw one not so far from the riverbank. She started to gather dried leaves, twigs and barks so she can start a campfire when she gets to the cave.

She piled up the logs inside the cave and gathered stones. She then started to build a small bonfire at the entrance of the cave but didn't light it yet. She cleaned the inside of the cave first before getting a sleeping mat out of her space and some beddings. She also got a towel and some clothes ready for she wanted a bath in the river first before meditating.

Okay I think everything's done. I'll start the bonfire.

She got her trusted lighter and the bonfire started with ease. She was piling up the logs together to make the fire bigger when she heard a loud thud in front of the entrance of the cave.