The Hunter's Song II: Lost Blood

Ch 24: Duplicity🔥(Lost Coyote)

"I swear, if Curly Turtle laid one finger on those streamers again I'm going to break all his knuckles and cuff him to a flatbed trailer," I mumbled to myself.

"We've changed color schemes three times..." I removed my helmet and hopped off the speeder bike with gusto. "We're not redoing the entrance backdrop to compensate 'for the height of Zhaguai women.' These middle-aged males are going to make me batshit-crazy."

"Ok, what's the emergency?" I threw open the door to my parent's house and charged in, determined to get this 'decoration crisis' corrected and settled within the next hour. "In case you all forgot, I kinda have a lot going on toda–"

Dran was standing in my family's living room surrounded by my parents and younger brother.

"Why is he here?" I shot my eyes at my parents.

"I invited him here," my mother, Ever Oak, confessed, rubbing the Zhaguai's arm while lingering a tad too long on his bulging triceps.

"Forgive the intrusion," Dran lowered his head. He was equally flustered by my presence. Then he cleared his throat and stepped forward.

"It was my intention to deliver this information more formally."

"Oh, no you don't!" I jabbed my finger in his chest. "No more ambushes. You and me, outside now!"

Dran complied and departed through the front door.

I scowled back at the four of them before exiting and caught my oldest dad, Hammer Paw, sporting a goofy grin and sneaking me a big double thumbs up.

Fucking traitors... All of them!

I pointed Dran to the walkway toward the back fields where my family farmed herbs for their confectionaries.

"No more surprise gifts allowed," I came to a halt in the widest path running down the middle of a large garden.

"I wish only for you to see me," Dran maintained his eerily serious air.

"Ok, fine," my ears twinged. "Explain to me all this sneaking around and then showing up in my parent's home while my mother calls me up all frantic, claiming something happened to the barn decorations my brother and I spent days arranging."

"I know only that I was summoned to meet her today at this specific time," Dran's eyes were doing that thing where they feel like they're burning straight into mine and out the back of my skull.

"When you accepted my offering but challenged me to prove the value of my being, I was left with only one option," Dran smiled. "To leave Jahaa and become a member of Menthla."

"What?! No!"

"Time was limited and I needed to reach the registrar's office before closing time to set the process in motion."

Are you kidding??

Also, note to self... him backing off in silence was Zhaguai for skipping away in triumph.

"I encountered your.. Mother," Dran made sure to use the razkur word. "While waiting in line. I explained my intentions, and she offered to aid in the process.

"You can't do this, Dran," I had no idea how to talk sense into him. "What about your work with Eh'kt?"

"I seek only to be closer to you," Dran clicked with a smile. "Your mother insisted that I work with her instead, to make the process smoother. She claimed to be introducing me to an official who could complete the process today."

At least Ever Oak knew how to use her sneaky-backstabbing powers for good.

"Dran," I touched his big scaly hands. "This whole sneaking up and making grand overtures needs to stop."