The Witch And the Beasts

Chapter 14: Lars And Oskar

- What? Do you have something to say? (VICTOR)

- No, I simply don't care! (SOFIA)

- HUH? (VICTOR)

- Are you deaf, or just stupid?

- W- What? How dare you! Do you know know who I am?

- A fool who can be killed?

- Y- You threatened me?

- Victor enough! I thought I raised you better!

- But Mom!

- Sofia, Lars, and Oskar are waiting for you outside, I have already talked to them.

I thanked the Queen and left without wasting a glare at the brat who tried to get attention with such a childish method as a five-year-old.

Outside of the castle, indeed two tall and muscular men were waiting for me, both of them having 4 stripes.

-  Hello, my name is Oskar! A black Leopard.

He has beautiful mocha skin, a side part of wavy tousled black hair, and brown pale golden eyes. He looks cheerful like a happy and polite child.

- Lars! Jaguar.

He also had mocha skin, shoulder-tousled black hair, a scar on his right cheek, and green emerald eyes. He was more serious, and distant, maybe nervous about his scar since in this world is considered a sign of ugliness.

- Sofia, nice to meet you, I'm a female Jaguar!

- Do you want to be trained by me?  Are you sure about that? ( LARS)

- Because I'm a female?

- Because of my scar!

- Why would I care about your scar?

- Aren't you... afraid?

- Does your scar bite?

What the hell am I listening to? Is he trying to find a way to drive me away?

-  if you don't want to train me, you can refuse, I won't force you to do something against your will.

- Huh? N-No... That's not w-what...

- He is not good with words! He is worried that his scar makes you uncomfortable, that's all! (OSKAR)

- A scar on a man is proof of his bravery, and a scar on a woman hides an interesting story.

 Seriously they actually think a scar is ugly? Not where I came from.   

Someone has to put an end to unrealistic and unhealthy beauty standards. Seriously now, we are supposed to become better but somehow we becoming worse.

Both of the men looked at me like I am an alien from a different planet, so I decided to put an end to it.

- So, when are going to start?

- Huh? Oh! Right! Ah!  (LARS)

- We are leaving tomorrow!  (OSKAR)

- Thanks!

Once again with the same look, Oh, right! I said thanks! I guess I should be more careful with my words. I don't want too much attention, especially if I go to the Beast City with the main characters.

--- Back to our house---

- Why did you have to say thanks? (GREGORY)

- I know, I know!  Sorry!

- No! You shouldn't say sorry either. What if someone hears you?  (HARPER)

- I told you I can put a barrier with my-

- They are not stupid! A house with no single noise is suspicious.

Both of my mates started lecturing about my words outside and inside the house.   We agree for me to act like most of the females here to avoid getting attention, but habits die hard.  The only way to prevent a slip of the tongue is to not talk at all.

- So, what do you think about Lars and Oskar?  (GREGORY)

- Both of them are 4 stripes beasts, they are strong and experienced. They are perfect!  (HARPER)

- You sound like a girl in love, why don't you confess to them?  (SOFIA)

- No, No, No! Don't misunderstand me, I, just, me, for you my mate, they will be good mates for you!  (HARPER)

- Pff, haha, she is just messing with you, dude!

- Don't scare me like that!

- OK, ok now! Let's enjoy our last night privately.

---Next Day---

Deja vu, once again when I got outside of my house I saw two men waiting for me.

- The training will be in the dark forest, it's the territory of pigs and boars, so we will stay for a long time, your mates can come too, but they have to stay far away not to be seen.  (LARS)

These were a lot of words from someone who barely could talk the day before, is he the same man? I guess he is not joking when it's time for business.

Both of my mates were ready already, Harper also warned me that we would have to pass the Savanna territory of hyenas, that's why we will go there flying.  

 In the past, it was almost impossible to pass through the Savanna territory, but even if you did, the hunting of pigs and boars was even more harder not to mention to come back with the prey.

No wonder royal meat is so hard to get, but only two beasts are still difficult to do. So, that's how Lars and Oskar got 4 stripes, and why it took them so long to come back. Luckily things change at the right time, but what took them so long?

Maybe they were dealing with other issues until now!

Soon after we departed with Flying Beast, an hour later the Savanna was ahead of us, but not only the Savana was clear in our view, but also the big pack of hyenas.  They were hunting a Gazelle, and I was glad that I didn't have to pass them on foot because probably we would have become their breakfast.

After another hour we reached to the dark forest, the trees were so tall that hiding the sun and it was almost dark, we didn't land on the land but on a tree with holes.

- Do the hyenas come to this territory to hunt?

- No, they don't blend either, but sometimes they manage to hunt if a reckless one comes too close to the end of the territory.  (OSKAR)

- Let me guess, I should not go too close to the end of the territory, right?

-  For starters yes! But you should spend more time in your beast form to sharpen your senses.  (LARS)

- Oh! 

Doesn't that mean that I could talk only to Lars?

- Was it ... Um... I mean... your scar... a hyena?

- Oh no! In the past, a stronger jaguar thought that I was courting his female and got mad because back then I had only one stripe.  (LARS)

- What?  That's too m-

Shit! I almost said it was too much, but it's normal in this world. Actually, he got lucky that he didn't die.

- That's why when I became stronger I challenged him and killed him. 

- Oh, so you have a mate?  (GREGORY)

- No, I was just angry that I got a scar for a female that I was never interested in the first place.

Everyone there had the same thought even Sofia, " That's a guy that we should never piss off".