The afternoon brought color to the branches of the trees as they blushed under the suns rays. I was digging in the mud with a make shift shovel that Milori made for me while Corwin was jumping around in the creek. His teeth grazed past many fish as they swam away in horror as his giant wolven body chases after them. Milori stood off to the side making a stone mold. What were we doing you ask? Well...building a demo house.
"So, next we need to add the dry grass into the mud." I said with a huff as I stopped shoveling in mud and started to throw in loose articles of brown grass. I used my shovel to mix it around while looking over and seeing the finished mold. Milori soon started to fill it with my makeshift cement before setting it down to dry. He then began to chip away at a slab of stone that was to be made into a grill.
"So you live in huts, which you call houses, correct?" Milori tilted his head over to me as I sat down exhausted. His hands carving away rhythmically while his eye focused back in his project.
"Yes, that is correct." I nodded my head while watching Corwin snag a fish in his mouth which fidgeted like crazy.
"And your father builds them?"
"Repairs mostly, not building from the ground up. And you guys live in dens?" I asked quizzically.
"Yes, mammals tend to dig into the ground or use trees or caves as homes. Though some villages do have these huts though most are worn away by the winds of time. The last example of this type of architecture can be found in the Sunny Peaks."
"The Sunny Peakes?"
"Yes. They hold the largest population of mammals currently accounting for how old the large village is. I learned that there are three main kings that over see the domain while visiting once," I listened intently to Milori's words at the mention of kings. "Leo King of Carnivores, Mordox King of Herbivores, and Saffi King of Omnivores. They all work as the heads of the 'council' though there are smaller leaders that break off to deal with their own parties issues."
"What about beastmen who aren't mammals? Are they not allowed in?" I gulped while Milori gave a sad glance over.
"Males are not permitted in the city unless they are mammals. On the other hand because females are so rare they will be allowed to settle but they are usually not as favored. You may have some difficultly finding yourself more than two partners at worst."
"At worst?"
"Yes most females have the minimum of five, and they usually pair with those from the same kingdom. But at the end of the day you are a female so no male will chase you out or harm you." Milori slowly let the words leave him while I let the pit in my stomach grow.
"So...how exactly do you know if I'm of age??"
Milori cleared his throat as he sat up straight. He paused as his thoughts sorted themselves and explanation. "Well uh...your smell will become very pleasant for males..." Milori started to find the words while making awkward gestures with his hands. "You will....start to feel very hot...maybe even itchy....and have a certain urge..." Milori cleared his throat again. "Usually your instincts will tell you when. It will happen only one week out of the year during mating season and has the highest chance of reproduction..." The air around us became hard to endure as he kept going.
"Okay...I think I get the picture. I haven't gone through that...but do some female bleed one week out of the month? I've heard of something like that before."
Milori quirked a brow. "Yes but there are only three species that do and they are all mammals. Where did you hear that?"
I fidgeted a bit with my nails before answering with a clever lie. "My mother bleeds or well bled. I-I just didn't know it was not normal...Would I start to bleed as well?"
"Like I said only mammals have that happen to them. If you did start bleeding like that then you would be either a type of primate, elephant shrew or spiny mouse." He patted my back gingerly while giving a small laugh. "But you are not a mammal. Your scent is that if a birdbeastmen."
I stiffened under his touch.
"Though I had no idea your mother was a mammal. Was she a type of primate?"
"Yes, an ape." I spat out with urgency while cold sweat started to coat me.
"..."
Milori didn't speak for a while as the breeze kept the air clear of tension. I could see in his eyes that many thoughts where forming in his head as pity graced his eyes. It wasn't until a fish went flying onto the ground in front of me did my worry start to dissipate.
"Avery look at this! Isn't it pretty?"
Corwin puffed out his chest as his snout gave a quick chuff. Pride radiated off of him while the green and red fish flipped about in its attempt to save its life.
"This looks very pretty Corwin. Do you think we can eat this one?"
Corwins ears flicked about while his prideful face formed into one of surprise. His ears twitched again while his tail stiffened.
" 'We'? Y-You want to eat some fish?"
It was as though the stars themselves filled his pupils as they expanded while a wide grin spread across his face. He jumped about hopping around in his playful form while looking at me.
"Yes we can! Oh I can catch more if you want!" Corwin skidded back and forth from the water and myself as though he was deciding what to do.
"You should catch another on for yourself as well. I can work on gutting and seasoning them. We just need a finish the grill and we will be already to go."
"Grill?" Corwin quirked his head and stopped his movements as he looked at Milori and I. Milori gestured to the half finished grill he was working on and Corwin made an O with his mouth, well as best as he could in his wolf form.
We all set off working on our own task. I started gathering the fire wood and prepping the fish with the sack of seasonings I stole from Liam. Gutting the fish however was not my favorite task as the non-tastey sour smell filled my nose. It wasn't that long until Corwin caught enough fish and started gutting them for me while I focused on prepping the plump fish to be grilled.
Milori finished a while later with the grill and started a fire with the kindling I found and situated two rock on either side to hold the grill up. The sound of sizzling fish was mouth watering as I used sticks to flip them over while Milori brought over some leaf plates that he had packed. It was the best lunch I've had since coming here and I couldn't lie about it. It beats Liam's cooking any day.
"Just hand the sack over to me once your done using it. I'll mask your scent so Liam doesn't know you stole it." Corwin whispered in my ear while I stiffened. I didn't really think about that.
"Okay, yeah. I'll make sure to give it to you." I nodded my head as I looked up at Corwin.
'But I mean and eye for an eye right? Steal my stuff I'll steal yours.'
"We have one last fish. Do you want it Corwin?" I gestured the leaf towards him but he only shook his head.
"No it's alright, you can have it."
"Oh okay," I turned towards Milori but he stopped me before I could ask him.
"No, I want to work on other clay items after seeing how well the brick turned out. You can have it."
"Really? Alright, I hope you to don't-" I was cut off by a shadow casting itself over me as Liam suddenly materialized. He was caked in mud and the foul smell of fish as a few bloody guts clung to his hands. His nose twitched as he stared down at me with bitter frustration. His ears snapped forward as his claws swiped my meal. He took it with him as he walked off, lifting it up and eating it with his back towards me.
"Hey! Asshole you could just ask!"
Though Avery's shouts didn't reach Liam as he chewed away at the fish in his claws, swallowing the soft bones and all. It tastes like heaven compared to what he tried to cook a distance away after he smelled the fish on the stone. He doesn't know how she got it to taste so good but he swears he will figure it out before they depart to the village so he can barter with them for some herbs and other valuables.
"Why is this so good?" No one could see it but a smile curved itself upwards on his greasy lips as a tear threaten to leave him. "I-It...how did she-?...I should be able to make this as well.."
His small but sharp teeth started to materialize themselves behind his prominent teeth while his smaller eyes fixed themselves on the prey. A harsh voice calling his name snapped him from his feeding trance.
"What!?" His voice sounded farrel while his hairs shook on end. His longer needle like ones had started to grow again as the twitched in anger. They shedded themselves and floated like feathers in the wind.
"You can't just steal from someone like that! That isn't right!" Miloris stern voice had no indication of fear as he looked up on the cursed natural form before him. Liam was no longer in his beastmen form and instead took on the appearance of his hybrid form. His body mostly consisted of wolven parts as most of his frame toon the form of a large black wolf. But some parts of him looked mangled and unnatural as longer, shiny-looking hairs stuck out on his four legs while the once small moles under his dominant eyes formed smaller eyes. His teeth were jacked as some looked like a canines set while other looked like thin tiny knives that stuck out incoherently. Liam staggered slightly as his frenzy came to a conclusion and he swallowed the remains in his mouth.
"Bite me then." Was all he could bark as he walked off. The old man was always annoying, trying to play 'father' with him, Corwin, and now this girl Avery. It was annoying! Stupidity so. But at the end of the day any anger he had melted as all he was left with was regret. He didn't know why but whenever he thought of how the girl seemed to smile around the other two he couldn't help but feel slightly bitter and he didn't understand why.
"I'm a comedian. She can smile at me to."
____
"I'm so sorry about that Avery. Is there anything I can do to make up for it?" Milori apologized in Liam's stead while I just sighed.
"It's fine. He looked tired and hungry. As long as he finished it all it's fine." I mumbled as we now found ourselves back at the camp. Milori was cleaning the leathered back of some tied up skins as they dried out in the sun. It was a mesmerizing process while I felt some guilt pull at my heart.
"Is there anything I can help with?" Milori gave a gruff but amused chuckle.
'She really likes helping huh?'
"Yes, you can help me by mixing the tanning paste together. I'll need to apply it after I am done." With a nod Avery set off to do her task while Milori watched her curiously from time to time. She helped him with one fur after the next before they got to the newest fur they were tanning. It was from a large red fox Corwin hunted and the neck was only snapped and did not damage to fur too badly. Avery's eyes glinted under the sun as she ran her hands over the soft fur and took in the rich color.
A smile pulled itself on Milori's lips as he watched the girl. "Do you want to help me again tomorrow? You've made this easier to do with help."
"Y-Yes! Of course!" The girl almost shouted with enthusiasm.
'She's too cute. Is this what having a daughter is like? Gods I'm going to die fighting off males left and right at this rate. She's too precious.'
Milori's thoughts ran about helplessly as the day grew shorter as he thought of what he could pamper her with.