Neo couldn't help but show sadness in his face, he had thought Yilas liked him since she was treating him so nicely. But now she wouldn't accept his gift, her behavior was sending mixed signals to the already inexperienced Neo.
"Hey Neo, snapped out of it!" Yilas was practically yelling at him while he was so lost in his thoughts.
Neo looked at Yilas's with his yellow eyes watering like she had wronged him.
Yilas couldn't take a look at his puppy eyes without feeling softened in her stomach.
"I just wanted to make you smile, I thought you liked it." the corners of Neo's mouth curled downward making a sad C on his face.
The eyes and the pout were like cupid's arrows shooting at Yilas's heart. She couldn't process this much cuteness all at once.
"What are you saying?" Yilas laughed, patting the tall Neo in the back "of course I didn't like those superficial things. If you want to buy something, buy me food! I love food the most in the world."
The fires in Neo's eyes were lit up once more, the one thing on his mind right now was to find food to fill Yilas's stomach. It was definitely an easy task.
Viosus who was close behind them didn't like the close interaction they had, but he knew it was only Yilas acting out her kindness.
Besides, he wouldn't want the Bird to get his master the stone either since it might make her like him more.
"What would you like to eat right now?" Neo excitedly asked.
"I don't really know this city so I don't know, but I guess anything is fine." Yilas was thinking about all the modern-day food she had in the past. It was mostly hospital food but it was still something quite different from this world.
"Hey, Vio" Yilas turned around to look for Viosus "Do you know where we could find some food?"
Viosus walked quickly to get to her side.
"There should be something called a dining house on this street. I have never visited it but I heard from the doctor saying it serves the finest food in the city."
"Let's give it a try!" Yilas excitedly said to Viosus.
"You lead the way." Neo also told Viosus quickly.
Viosus didn't want to be told what to do by the bird so he just ignored him. He started to walk along the crowded street, going down the line of people.
The street was getting more packed as the sun rose higher, Yilas's little body could easily be lost in the swamp of people. They didn't want to be separated from her so both Viosus and Neo grabbed one of her wrists at the same time.
Soon enough they reached the dining house. It looked like a little tree-house made out of wood and plants. Though it looked quite spacious, enough to fit more than 50 people in there if they were the busiest. The outside of the place had a rock with a drawing of fruits and plants on it. Yilas thought it was a clever way of marketing.
From the outside looking in, there were quite many people inside today and they seemed to be busy. There were no tables, the customers were sitting in groups on top of blankets that looked like they were made out of sheep's fur.
As they entered, a man with goat legs and curled horns greeted them and seated them in the right corner of the room.
Yilas was like a child in the candy shop, she was fascinated by everything she saw and she kept looking around without noticing there were eyes on her.
Neo and Viosus both felt uncomfortable right away. Viosus even considered leaving this place since he felt quite unsafe but seeing Yilas's excitement he couldn't do it to her.
Every eye was on them like daggers as the three walked across the room to their seat. Especially the female's eyes were on Yilas, though there were only 3. Each of them was seated in their corner making a square if one connected to the dots.
"We will be serving flowers tea today, I will bring it out shortly. Is this the first time you guests are dining with us?" The goat server politely asked.
"Yes!" Neo took the initiative to talk first "bring out the best food you have."
Upon hearing Neo's intimidating voice, the goat was quite scared because in front of him there were obviously at least 2 carnivorous beasts.
"Of course master!" The goat frantically answered and then ran away to the kitchen.
Yilas was looking around the house when she caught eyes with another female across the room. It was a somewhat young woman who was surrounded by a circle of 6 men. Yilas didn't pay much attention to the men but since they crossed eyes, she could see that female the clearest.
The unknown female had honey wheat color skin, it looked very healthy but roughed. Her dark-colored hair was cut short to her shoulders with something blunt since the ends looked choppy. On top of her head were 2 strong horns that bent straight backward. Her eye pupils were just like that of a goat, they were also a little distance from each other. As for the rest of her body, her lower half were that of a goat, just like the waiter.
When their eyes met, Yilas didn't pull herself away because it was the first time she saw another female from this world beside Lyth so she was curious. However, the goat woman was looking at her the whole time too with not so friendly eyes so Yilas felt quite awkward shortly after.
Yilas smiled lightly and looked away but she could still feel the goat woman's eyes on her.
The waiter was quick to return with the drinks, they were presented in little bowls made out of a half, center scooped out pineapple. The water in there was warm with a lingering taste of chamomile but it mostly overpowered by the pineapple.
Yilas liked the unique drink this restaurant offers so right after she tasted it she said.
"Wow! This taste is amazing!"
But quickly after, a female voice burst out laughing and then followed by the laughing voices of men.
Even without looking, Yilas knew where that laugh came from so she looked at the goat woman immediately. Neo and Viosus were also quick to react so they pointed out the culprit just as fast.
After a few seconds of confusion, their laughs died down. Neo once again was quick to voice his opinion.
"What are you beasts laughing at?" He frowned angrily at them. His voice raised loudly.
The men kept laughing but once the female started to speak, they stopped immediately.
"It was quite funny to see how strange that weird one acts that's all" the goat female talked back at Neo.
"What was so funny about her?" Neo grew angrier, normally he wouldn't behave so hostile towards a female but their action meant disrespect so he couldn't just sit there and acted as nothing happened.
The goat female laughed once again and avoided answering. Yilas didn't want to draw any more attention to themselves so she gently pulled Neo's arm, telling him to calm down with her eyes.
Viosus was extremely pissed too but he didn't show it or made a scene like Neo. His hand on the side formed into a first. Viosus knew that in the city of goats, herbivores were the majority and they tended to link up in big groups. Moreover, the city had many rules against dangerous carnivores.
Normally, any beasts could enter the city as long as they had no intention to hunt the beasts within the city. But they had never allowed any carnivores to stay past 2 days. Another thing was that this city had a strict rule against trading meat, any seller caught will be exiled from the city. With that being said, the meat trading was still happening in the night market, under their noses.
Not only the three of them were greatly outnumbered, but also if a fight were to be broken out in this dinner, they, the carnivores, would be banned from this city forever.
The city was run by a black female goat, no one had ever seen her but beasts had stories about how fierce her spouses were even though they were plant-eaters. One story even said one of her spouses, a bison, so strong that he had killed 3 tigers in one fight. Another said her first mate was a giant deer, his antler was so big and tough it could pierce through a thick boulder of rocks.
Viosus took a big gulp of the drink, drowning all the noise from these beasts.
Being reminded by Yilas, Neo sat back down on his seat and ignored the senseless goats sitting across from them. He also drank all the water from the pineapple boat in one go and then slammed the shell on the ground, breaking it in half.
The food finally came out after a few minutes, Yilas could still feel the eyes following her but she decided to ignore it. She was more focused on the food anyway, she had been starving all this time because of the walk.
Three vegetable dishes and a dish filled with grapes came out, it was all placed neatly in a big green leaf. One dish was cooked rice, one looked like steamed cabbage, another looked like a steamed onion.
"Wow I didn't know that they had cooked food like this here." Yilas was so excited she couldn't contain herself and waited for the waiter to leave before saying that.
"Of course masters" the goat waiter explained as he was placing the food in front of them "all of these are our finest pieces, we also serve raw grains and nuts but those are less exquisite than these."
The goat waiter quickly took his leave without leaving any utensils for them so Yilas was quite confused at how they were supposed to eat this. But she also didn't want to act ignorant and made a joke out of herself one more time so she waited for Viosus or Neo to make the first move so she could just copy them.
Viosus was waiting for Yilas to eat first, she must be hungry so he would leave all the food for her to eat first. Neo on the other was a bird but hawks would only eat meat so he was reluctant to try any of these.
Yilas kept looking back and forth at them for a few minutes but none of them did anything.
"Aren't you guys going to eat?" Yilas asked the two.
"This does not suit my diet Yilas." Neo crossed his arms around his chest, frowning at the food.
"Milady, you must be hungry, you should eat first." Viosus took the plate of rice and brought it in front of YIlas's face.
Yilas reluctantly took the rice plate from his hands and took a pinch in her hand and brought it to her mouth.
And what she was afraid might happen, happened anyway. A loud high pitched, shrilling laugh came from across the room again.
Another round of loud laughter went off and this time it almost made Yilas choke on her rice. She had to even take some water to help with the swallowing.
Both Neo and Viosus saw Yilas being choked so they both growled. The noise made the whole diner fall silent.
"Hoho… I was just surprised at how stupid that beast is, she didn't even know how to eat" The goat voiced loudly from across the room, her voice sounded sour and bitter it made Yilas disliked it right away "Why the intimidation? You beasts will get punished if you keep doing that." She laughed slyly.
Yilas had to pull both of their arms with all her might to get them to not lunged forward.
"But how can we blame her, she must be a young and dumb meat-eater that's all" the female laughed, covering her mouth. Some herbivores had extreme hatred toward carnivores but since they were always the prey, they couldn't do anything out in the wild.
But here in the city of goats, they had strong protection and backing from all beasts so this was the only place they could intimidate and express their resentment.
This goat female disliked the three of them as soon as she saw them. She felt the need to belittle them and kicked them out of her favorite diner somehow, especially that white-haired female.
"We were just enjoying our meal, why do you have to be so nosey and watched me every step of the way?" Yilas mocked back at the goat female "I know some females could become obsessed with females sometimes but don't you see that I am already busy with these two right here?"
Yilas was quick with the insult, she had never been the good at any type of fights either physically or mentally but even she couldn't handle being called dumb and stupid back to back.
Yilas hated obnoxious people, especially the people who would step on other people for amusement.
Neo was pleased with what Yilas said because it obviously made the goat female over there furious. Everybody could hear her hissing at Yilas.
"You little wench! Who said I was obsessed with you, you are nothing but an ugly female. Even my spouse would have to beg me for my attention." the female was so mad her nostrils became twice the size because of all the fume she was breathing out.
"Oh really?" Yilas talked in a sarcastic manner "no wonder. They all looked like little wimps to me since all they know best is gossip and follow your foolish's game."
The goat female got irritated at Yilas insulting her men, she jumped straight up and pointed at Yilas.
"Who is the little wimp you wench, you look like one more than anybody here! With your messy long hair and your ugly face, no beast would like a hideous creature like you. Even little cubs will be scared away by that nasty scar on your face!"
Seeing the female was hostile and even stood up and acted out her anger, Neo and Viosus couldn't sit still, they both stood up in an instant and stood in front of Yilas.
But their action wasn't taken lightly, the goat female's spouses also got up to protect her.
The situation got heated very quickly.
Yilas who was so taken back by the slander from another female so she didn't stop Neo and Viosus in time.
However Yilas didn't let words get to her easily so she snapped back into reality and went in front of Neo and Viosus. With her back turned to the Goats, Yilas tried to push Viosus and Neo back but it was no use.
Viosus was normally calm but he was provoked at the moment, he was snarling and growling, even showing his fangs. Grunting at the goat's spouses, he couldn't even notice Yilas was there pushing.
Neo was shocked by the outrageous comment from their female, even if it wasn't him who she was directed at but he was furious for Yilas's sake.
Neo lowered his stand like he was about lunged at them.
"Ho, ho… daring aren't you?" The goat female said mockingly at Neo and Viosus, she knew they would get lots of trouble if they attack "Go ahead and attack if you beasts or not scare off this city punishment."
She laughed mockingly once again while hiding behind 6 of her spouses, they were forming a half-circle around her.
Yilas was already irritated by what she said now she was even angrier. But Yilas was smarter than that, she will not be easily provoked. Especially after when the female said there was a type of punishment, she must mean punishment on the carnivores only. Yilas thought they must not cause any more attention.
"Vio! Neo! Stop being dummies, sit down, and calm yourselves." Both of the men heard Yilas this time, they were slowly dropping their stance.
The goat female saw that her opportunity was about to go away so she grabbed a dish of steamed cabbage and threw it at them.
*splat*
A dirtied wet noise silenced the room, the plate landed of Yilas's head.
She didn't know she gasped first or it was somebody else in the room. The people around started to gossip loudly.