"what?" I asked again, looking at Dania who still hadn't moved - or even blinked for that matter. She had dropped her cone full of roasted nuts on the ground and didn't even seem to notice. That's very unlike her.
I looked over at Marshall who looked a little guilty. He avoided eye contact and went back to drinking. Frustrated, I looked back at Dania who was at least blinking now.
"Dania?" I asked, waving my hand in front of her face. "What's wrong?"
She composed herself and looked sadly at the snack she dropped on the ground. Then she looked back at me. She opened her mouth like she was going to say something, then stopped.
She grabbed me and Marshall by the hands, saying "Come with me, we can't talk about this here."
I looked at him but he continued to avoid eye contact. Something is going on here that he hasn't told me.
She took us to a deserted area before turning around and looking at us like a mother scolding her children. We are talking like hands on the hips and everything.
"Do you guys have ANY idea what you are doing??" She said, almost angrily.
I furrowed my brows in confusion and glanced at Marshall again. He had his head bowed and his ears folded over in shame.
"Huh?" I asked, as I turned my attention back to my friend.
"Mika, you aren't a wolf."
"Well I would say that's pretty obvious" I replied in a sarcastic tone, indicating my huge fluffy tail.
"You don't get it." She said, sighing loudly as if she was losing her patience. "Marshall should know better." She said, pointing at him.
"You are right, I don't get it. What's the problem? Do I have to be a wolf to be his mate?"
"Uh, yeah." Dania said, as if the answer was obvious.
"Wait… really?" I said, shocked. I mean, I haven't seen any inter-species couples but I assumed that was because they all lived so far apart. Then again, I might have completely ignored the obvious anyways since I wanted to be with Marshall so badly.
"Yes really." Dania said, exasperated. "Do you know why there are no inter-species couples?"
"No?" I said back.
Dania sat on a wooden crate, crossed her legs, and looked over me and Marshall.
"I will tell you the same story that my elders told me: Back when we first evolved from our animal forms, beasts were still influenced by their instincts and their animalistic drives. They were segregated into tribes based on species at the beginning. As they started to explore, problems arose. Males and females of different species would mate. This posed one of two problems; either the female wouldn't be able to carry a child to term, or she would give birth. Remember that offspring are necessary for the survival of our species. With each generation we evolve further.
"The children that were carried to term and birthed by their mothers were no blessing to the tribe. The females would often die during childbirth. And the children were not beasts, but monsters. They would inherit attributes from both parents, creating deformed and grotesque appearances. They also were completely dominated by animal instinct. No matter how hard one tried, they could not be tamed nor taught. These Monsters evolved into fearsome creatures. They still pose risks to us today, as they have a high reproduction rate and are driven to kill, eat, and mate."
I stood there in shock. If what Dania says is true, then Marshall and I will not be able to have children. The thought of children hadn't even crossed my mind before. No wonder they acted like we were some kind of monsters, if we had children they would pose a risk to everyone.
I looked over at Marshall who was still avoiding eye contact. "You knew this?" I asked, a slight tremor in my voice.
He nodded, then looked up at Dania timidly.
"I know it shouldn't be done… but she is my natural mate.." His voice was quiet but steady.
"What?" Dania said, "That's not possible. The only ones who have natural mates of different species are…"
They both looked at me curiously. I felt awkward being stared at. "What?" I asked, waiting for her to continue.
"You might be one of the Gods' Chosen... like royalty... they are the only ones who have mates from different species." Dania said.
A few minutes ago she was looking at me like I was a circus freak, now she's looking at me like she just saw the pope.
I remembered what she taught me about the mate bond, but she never talked about inter-species couples. She did say that the ones blessed by the gods were taken to the capital to be pampered and…
"HUH?!" I asked, a deep red color staining my face as I realized that the ones they considered chosen or blessed by the gods, have multiple mates. The image that popped up in my mind was so shocking. I can't imagine having multiple mates, like how would that even work?!
Dania smirked at my expression and Marshall also blushed and looked away.
I looked back at Dania and asked, "Wait, if they have inter-species mates, how do they reproduce?"
"I would assume it's a group activity." Dania said with a wink, making my face even redder
"That's not what I meant and you know it!" I said back, embarrassed.
She giggled and added, "Yes, yes I know what you meant. I had to lighten the mood. Because of their special blessing they are capable of producing perfectly healthy and strong offspring. Some of our most legendary warriors are the offspring of Gods' Chosen."
"But.. how do we know if that's what I am?" I asked
"Well the fact that you have a natural mate from a different species is a good indicator. There is also a way to test it… I think we should take you two to Isola."
I nodded in agreement.
"Who's that?" Marshall asked me.
"She's supposed to Be the best doctor around." I told him.
"And this region's best and only alchemist." Dania added. "She specializes in the odd and untreatable."
He nodded in affirmation and we made our way back to the entrance of the city. Dania chittered away, as usual, which allowed me to get lost in my thoughts.
Part of me is hoping that I am 'chosen by god' so that Marshall and I can stay together. But I also don't want a harem! My imagination was running wild at the extremes. On one hand I see us being chased away by an angry mob with pitchforks. On the other hand I see some fairly lewd images of me and harem of Marshalls.. I shook my head to clear the thoughts. I will just have to take everything in stride, we will figure it out.
I took Marshall's hand as we approached the city entrance. the same black panther jumped down and looked at Marshall and I before rolling her eyes. She shook her head 'no.'
"They both need to see Isola." Dania said.
The panther shifted into the woman and looked down at us (with the exception of Marshall, who was just as tall as her). "The answer is still no."
"Dania, can you go in and get Isola, maybe she can help?" I said to Dania. This woman is immovable as a boulder.
"Good idea. Wait here." Dania said as she scampered up the tree.
The Panther woman looked at me and Marshall and said, "Don't even try going in. I will be watching."
And with that, she shifted back into a panther and went up the tree.
From the ground, all you could see was thick branches and dense foliage. The tree where the entrance is, was covered in claw marks from people climbing up. The panther disappeared from sight as she climbed up into the treetop.
Marshall and I found a spot to sit nearby. We sat in the grass; he sat cross legged while I curled my knees up to my chest.
"What do you think about all this?" I asked him.
"Mmmhh." He answered. He seemed to be lost in thought and just grumbled affirmatively.
I sighed and just sat there people watching. I had this feeling like someone was watching me, the hair on my tail was standing on end. I looked around and didn't see anyone. I looked up towards the city entrance, it must be the black panther.
After a while the panther came down the tree and waved us over. We got up and approached.
"You have been permitted to enter." She said, clearly annoyed and looking right at Marshall.
"Thanks!" I said happily.
As the panther woman and I turned towards the tree, Marshall cleared his throat from behind us. We looked back and his appearance was so pitiful.
"I can't climb…" He said, "I'm, a dire-wolf"
The Panther woman just grunted in disgust and said, "Figure it out yourselves. I'm not carrying you up." Then she transformed and climbed up the tree.
I looked over at Marshall. Maybe I could try putting him on my back and jumping up. I proposed this idea to him and looked at me like I was crazy.
"Come on, let's just try it. I've gotten much stronger!" I said, confidently.
"Hmm. If you insist." He said back, looking amused.
I turned towards the tree and assumed posture for jumping. "Climb on" I told him.
Suddenly something heavy covered my entire body and made me fall backwards. It was Marshall.
He's so tall compared to me that his weight tipped me backwards. I landed on him and heard him chuckle, I felt the warmth of his chest against my back.
Stubbornly I stood up and demanded, "Again!"
I assumed the posture and instructed him to get a little higher on my back so I don't tip backwards.
He climbed on my back again however this time, he ended up with both hands on the ground in front of me and both legs still on the ground behind me. It looked like a game of twister. He laughed again, which only fueled the fire. I was determined!
We tried having him sideways over my shoulders, tried having him wrap around me like a koala (we tried frontwards and backwards with this one), we tried at least 5 different positions and all of them ended in failure.
I could hear a deep female voice laughing up above us, the panther-woman no doubt. That didn't deter me. However by this point Marshall was also laughing uncontrollably.
"why are you laughing?!" I asked him, frustrated.
He calmed down and patted my head while saying, "You are just too cute, that's why." A big smile on his face.
I looked up at his handsome face, and blushed. I was a little embarrassed at my multiple failed attempts and being laughed at, but I was also embarrassed by this unexpected compliment.
He placed one hand on the side of my face and pulled me in for a kiss.
Just as our lips were about to meet a large rope fell from the tree and smacked Marshall in the head. I looked up as he rubbed his head and picked up the rope.
the rope was dangling from up in the treetop.
"Use it." I heard a female's voice call from the treetop.
I looked over at Marshall who shrugged.
"Thanks!" I called back.
The end of the rope that was dropped down was weaved like it was used to carry baskets up into the trees. the netting was very wide however.
An evil thought crossed my mind. How cute would it be to raise puppy Marshall in this net, up into the treetops. It would put him on display to my amusement. It will be payback for being completely unhelpful when I was trying to carry him up.
"Marshall," I purred, innocently, as he was inspecting the end of the rope. "I think you should shift into your wolf before I raise you up."
"Huh? why?" He asked, not at all suspicious of my motives
"It will.. distribute your weight better. Yeah. And make it easier for me to pull you up." I said.
"Huh. Okay." He said, as he handed me his sachel and transformed.
I suppressed an evil chuckle as I dashed up into the tree.