LoweFantasy has been hired on as a ghostwriter as well as to work on her webnovel that is going to be adopted by some webnovel publishers, so she has to vouch out of the story. Therefore, I, Tyndali, the co-writer, will be finishing it up!
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"I've always thought of myself as having big plans, you know? Like I want to found a City or learn how to make ancient structures or something." Benedict's tail flicked against her shoulder as he wrapped it around himself, the tip resting against the corner of his mouth. Stars barely twinkled in the sky, outshone by the gorgeous three moons hanging above them.
"Something that says, 'I was here.'"
"Yeah, it'd be pretty cool if the house could talk, but what I really mean is that I want to feel..."
"I mean something that makes other people remember you."
"Oh, right, that. Yeah, I'd like to be remembered."
They stared in silence for a few more minutes.
"I have this idea about beastmen being on the moons..."
Neara barely chuckled. "Yeah, you've told me."
"I did? Well, did I tell you it's where Scorpions and Snakes and Merpeople come from?" He pointed upward. "The gold one has Scorpions, the orange one has Snakes and the purple one has Merpeople."
"Yeah, and meteors are how they come down."
"Not meaty-ores. They're baby seeds. They crack open when they hit the ground and a beastman slithers out."
"Sure, sure."
"There's one right there!" He pointed a claw upward, the fire gleaming off the edge.
The light streaked over the orange moon, briefly disappearing behind the lavender one before reappearing and continuing its flight.
"Make a wish!" She closed her eyes instinctively and wished to be back before this all happened. Wake up, eat peach instant oatmeal, meet Shay after class for cinnamon rolls, go to another class...
"Why are you closing your eyes?"
"What?"
"Your eyes. That's not how you wish." He held up his tail, plucked a single hair, then let it fall into the fire. "There."
"What did you wish for?" Beastman version of blowing an eyelash off your finger, I guess.
He grimaced slightly, mouth pulling down. "What?"
"Your wish. What was it for?"
"You offer a piece of yourself to the fire and hope it won't consume the rest of you. What else is there to wish for?"
"For you? A female that will tolerate your smelly butt." She shoved him playfully, the smell of burning hair flickering in her nose.
"More like a female with a tasty male." He raised his eyebrows when she laughed.
"Ok, ok, maybe just getting rid of your insecurity that no female will ever love you so you hide yourself away to avoid even the possibility of being rejected?"
"Hm.... no. I'm going with the first one, thank you very much."
They stared at the fire in comforting silence.
"Do you think we're going to run into them tomorrow?"
"Probably. I can smell other beastmen, which usually means they're close." He rested his chin on his arms, his tail wrapping around his feet.
"Benedict? I'll miss you when you, you know, sell me." She tried to laugh but it fell like a coin thrown at the moon.
"Yeah; it'll be hard to replace that annoying buzzing sound you make." He lifted his arms above his head and sank onto them, his long black-spotted tail draping across his midriff.
"What annoying buzzing..."
"There it is again!"
Neara scowled and stuck out her tongue.
"Gross. Put that thing back where it came from." He laughed at her face. "Don't worry so much; a female like you is probably worth a lot of salt. I won't be going anywhere until I get what you're worth."
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Orson, for the first time since he achieved six-mark status, let loose. Boulders shivered when he approached and tearing apart the earth was as simple as gripping it with both hands. He knew she was somewhere inside the mountain, could feel her heart racing and the tingle of fear in the middle of her tongue. He savored the feeling of closeness, then shut himself away from her to focus on the task ahead of him.
In only a few minutes, he'd ripped his way through to a small valley nestled between the remaining peaks, snow and dust raining down as he raged his way through. Small rabbit beastmen cowered before him, gripping their ears and noses as blood spurted from every orifice. Only one stood before him, a thick red line edging his jaw. He smelled mated.
"Give her to me, or there's going to be a hell of a fight." Orson's chest rose up and down as if exhausted, but really the effort of destroying a mountain barely nicked the surface of his power.
The beastman's thumb reached up to his nose and wiped the blood away, a fresh trail appearing almost instantly. "Never."
In a blur, the Sheep beastman lunged forward, cupping his hand and slapping the exposed throat of the Rabbit who flew backward into the forest. His Clansmen cowered around Orson as he followed her scent to a small rounded hole thick with her sadness. Her cloak... she'd need that. He carefully folded it around his arm and smelled the jars and baskets lining the walls. Fermented water? But she seemed to like it because she'd made so much... he'd bring her back a little; tell her this is what she got for running away. He bundled a few of the jars and bags of powder together, keeping the package loosely at his side. The Rabbit wasn't done fighting yet, and he had no intention of taking longer than necessary.
"What are you?" A beastman gasped near the entrance, his body red and trembling.
"A very pissed off husband with absolutely no patience left." He shoved the beastman aside with his foot and kept walking. A flicker of movement near the corner of his eye caught his attention and he spun, horror flooding his body almost instantly. Babies.
Small rabbits twitching on the ground, Neara's scent, and occasionally Shay's, layered over them like a veil of protection. He suppressed his aura as fast as he could and reached out a hand to cup the terrified child.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know... I didn't know you were here." A frown creased his face, the only outward sign of the intense inner struggle. How could he have missed that? His mate had gotten pregnant, probably raped by these foul animals, and he'd been so worried about giving her space that he'd missed it completely. What if she...
He shook his head. No; he still smelled her, still felt her heartbeat. She was alive somewhere in this damn mountain and he would find her. He grabbed a basket and wove a few strips of leather through it, fashioning a crude pack. Focusing as much of his attention as he could, without losing track of the fighting Rabbit, he gathered the Neara-smelling babies, settling them gently and carefully amongst whatever soft grasses he could find.
Without his aura, he wouldn't be able to destroy the Rabbit on sight... but he preferred to kill with his bare hands anyway. There wouldn't be enough of this mountain left to hold his scent when he was done with it.
The Rabbit threw a stick directly at him, tipped with a sharp rock. Obviously meant for his heart, he thought as he plucked it from the air effortlessly. He could sense the disbelief.
"That really all you got? I tore down your mountain, vermin, the least you could do is offer a challenge."
A small ball of clay exploded near him and the babies inside whimpered, little screeches barely muffled by the grass inside. He jumped away from the blast and caught a whiff of that same powder used by Joseph and Theo. Huh. He really thought he could knock him out?
Orson increased his speed until he'd wrapped his arms around the Rabbit's torso and throttled him to the ground. The Rabbit kicked back, slivers of sharp bone and stone wedged between his toes.
Had to watch her babies. He leapt backward to give the illusion of surrender.
"Give me back my sons!" The Rabbit frothed at the mouth.
"Oh, your sons?" He fought to keep himself in check. "You're the one that did this to her? Are you aware, bastard, that the last time she gave birth, she almost died?"
"Maybe she had a useless mate last time," he huffed and sank to one knee.
"Yes, I was. She did it all on her own and brought herself back from the brink as well. She's much stronger than I'll ever be." He kicked up a rock and threw it at the Rabbit, plunging a hole through one of his ears before he could react.
"It doesn't surprise me that she ran away from you," the Rabbit continued, "Neara needs someone kind and considerate."
"You're not doing yourself any favors. I'm taking her away from here if I have to rend the world to do it. I know you fertility scum are dying out." He raised his arms above his head in a stretch, careful not to dislodge the baby bands. "I can finish the job."
The Rabbit crouched, his ear hanging over his face. With a growl, he took a knife from his belt and ripped through the flesh, discarding it with a grimace and facing Orson again.
"Oh, so badass. Right there. Absolutely terrifying." Orson slowly clapped and walked forward, flexing just enough of his aura to paralyze the useless filth. "I don't care about your honor." He punched the Rabbit's ribcage, feeling the bones disintegrate against his knuckles. "I don't care about your race." He kicked him as high as he could, walking to the spot where he eventually landed in a heap. "In fact, I don't care about anyone." He pulled the body up by the tip of his ear, the beastman flinching in pain. "All I care about is her." His fingers closed around his throat and he slowly squeezed.
Thump
He paused.
Thump
He could feel her.
Thump
She was below him, somewhere.
The pulse against his fingertips brought him back to the present and he dropped the sagging Rabbit to the ground in a heap. He turned to the others, scattered around and holding cloths to their ears and noses.
"I meant what I said. Now get off this mountain or I'll throw you."
He started shoveling earth from beneath him, sinking lower and lower. When he felt the babies needed a break, he threw the detritus as far as he could (which was pretty damn far) to create a larger hole. Babies needed sunshine, after all. He had to keep them healthy for her. He smiled when he thought of her bleeding heart fawning over these tiny fluffballs. And he'd smelled Shay there too for some reason... oh well. She was probably hiding with Neara. He was sure Curtis was somewhere nearby, though he couldn't sense him, and once he'd found them, he'd return her.
The babies mewled hungrily and he stopped, finding bits of grass here and there for them to eat. They refused to drink water from his hand, but lapped it easily enough off a rock so he dribbled it slowly for them. They were really too small to be on their own this early, but still; eight babies. A glow of pride filled his heart. Well done, Neara.