Hello guys! I'm thankful for your prayers for me through the past week. For a moment, I thought I was going to die but I'm glad I'm still alive and well!
It took me a while to write again but now that I'm back, I won't keep you guys waiting for long.
I hope this chapter and the following ones will make up for my absence for the previous missed days.
Enjoy
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Sydney slumped under a tree shed to rest. She felt so uncomfortable all over from the mud she had smeared herself and was considering taking a shower in the stream.
The eldest walked over and sat down next to her in silence. He had never seen a female work so hard and diligently and right now, he wanted to do his best to help her. All she had to do was say the word!
[Hey....] he made a grutal sound drawing Sydney's attention.
Looking at the lion by her side, Sydney sighed. "I'm taking a short nap. I'll wash and return home when the animal skin is dry. I've been in this attire for days so I need to clean myself."
[Ah?] he was confused but nodded anyway.
Sydney stood up and disappeared behind a shurb for a while before she appeared once again with an animal skin in her hands. It was her knicker. She needed to wash it!
Seeing the flimsy skin in her hands, the eldest looked over curiously but Sydney hid it and glared at the lion. "Pervert!" she hissed and stomped off to the stream to wash her knicker. With only one piece, she felt her life was doomed for but what could she do?! She had no fish bone and despite having watched these clothes being made, the skin hides were a little too tough for her to alter into appropriate attire.
She had to patiently wait till she got back to the beast city.
She stopped her wondering thoughts and decided to concentrate on her plans. She washed up in the stream with her clothes on as she couldn't ask the lion brothers to leave. The language barrier hindered her alot and so was forced to compromise.
The day went by and soon it was evening and her skin hide had dried up a little too much to her liking. "Excuse me!" she called into one of the brothers who trotted over like a good boy. "I need help to cut this hide into a smaller pieces. Can you do it?!" she said as she gestured for the lion.
Understanding what she wanted, the younger brother used his sharp claw and cut following her instructions. She ended up with two pieces that could perfectly wrap around her body. She also got two long straps. She was happy with their cooperation. "You are very smart!" she praised him and rubbed his mane.
The search party.
Ash looked at the group of beastmen thet had encountered on their way. It was already the second day but there was completely no sign of her anywhere! He knows that they hadn't searched far yet but with every passing day, his heart grew more restless and uneasy
Parrick was doing the talking but even with constant inquiries, there seemed to be no one who had seen or heard of the red haired female.
"My lord, we should continue to search and not lose hope!" Parrick said trying to calm the tyranny of his master. He had been with the city lord for a long time and he had seen the side the city lord kept from his people. He was far beyond a ninth rank beastman but he had surpressed his power in order to avoid attracting unnecessary troubles and with time, he started to avoid the females more since he was well aware of what circumstances he'd have to encounter just to be with her.
"Let's go!" Ash's empty voice rang out and he immediately shifted into his beast form before sprinting off. With no track of her scent, no trail left behind, he was running off like a headless chicken!
'Where are you Sydney?!! Are you alright?! I'm sorry I lost you! You must be scared right?! And hungry too! Don't worry....I'm coming! I'll definitely find you and won't let you get lost again! Just be safe...for me!!!!!!'
He ran and ran and ran till it was the evening of the second day. The others were following closely behind but at a safe distance. They had agreed to work together and find her as soon as possible!
Ken had a small skin bag between his teeth and this contained their female's clothes and other necessities. The only thing that kept poor ken same was the presence of her clothes that were filled with her scent. From time to time, they'd run back and take deep breathes of her clothes then continue to their search.
This was the most heart wrenching moment for any male beast.
An angry hissing sound resonated around the forest forcing the search part of four to come to a halt. Ash forwned sensing an equally high level beastman. Ken, Caden and Shawn also went on guard after sensing a cold blooded beast in the vicinity. From the hissing sound, it was probably from the snake clan and despite having snake beastmen residing in the city of beasts, many others preferred their solitary life. These kind of beastmen were the most scary since they survived through life and death without the protection of their clan or colony.
"Seems we went through his territory!" Ken gritted his teeth and looked around with utmost scrutiny but couldn't see a single thing despite feeling the pressure pressing down on them. This was utterly challenging! They really had no time to fight a high level beastman or else they were only putting their lives out for slaughter.
"Do you guys see anything?!" Shawn was more at a disadvantage. He had to rely on the others under some aspects like right now. He could sense a killing intent all around them and couldn't exactly pinpoint at the exact direction it was coming from. His fur stood on end against his wish and it was only then that he realised that he was involuntarily shifted into his beast form. For one to he forced into this state, it was a do or die situation.
"Keep close...." Caden said and utilised his eye sight to catch on any abnormality. As a sixth rank, his eye sight was considered unbeatable in the eagle clan.
The hissing sound grew more and more to the point of causing one's skull to tingle from numbness.It seemed like it was coming from all around them!
"Where is she?!" A voice in the dense forest asked accompanied by a hiss. "I let you take her away and now you lost her?!" the voice asked once again confusing the three except for Caden who froze in place. He recognised this feeling...those questions.... It was...This.... that snake beastman!!!! His face was filled with shock upon realisation.
"I see you still have some brains!" he hissed and the places he went by rustled but still nothing was in sight.
"Don't bother....you wont see him if he doesn't want you to." Caden said helplessly. How could he forget! This was the snake that had Sydney the first time she came to their world...he had let him take her away but it seems like the snake beastman didn't intend to completely withdraw from pursuing the female.
"What ..what do you mean?!" Ken asked. What's with this snake beastman attacking them. Ken was also unstable since he was forced to transform against his will and from fear, he kept letting out involuntary growls and whimpers.
"I wasn't being careful and she disappeared from home." Caden said feeling ashamed. He knew he was lacking alot but the fact that a female could be snatched from their hold in the city of beasts was a slap to their egos.
"I shouldn't have let you take her away...." the voice sneered but soon appeared. In the lash green canopy above, the golden colour of an enormous report stood out so much that it was glaring. The snake body not only could around the humagous tree trunks but went as far as lazily encircling a whole 200ft and more.
Ken was stumped as this was the largest snake he had seen in his life. He would gladly say this was the largest snake beastman alive! At the moment, all they could see was only the snake body and hadn't caught sight of his upper body and appearance.
Ash was equally surprised seeing this beastman. This guy was more powerful than him and he could feel it. And he could even comuflage?!! That was a rank beyond one that he held but what was his affiliation with Sydney?! He looked towards Caden for an explanation.
Caden who had thought that there'd be no need for him to explain this brief encounter sighed. He found Sydney before any of us did but he chose not to hold onto her and let me take her away. "I had thought he bore no interest in females when he readily handed her over to me without a fight but I was apparently wrong."
"What?!!! A snake beastman found her first?! And you didn't say anything about it?! Why?!" Ken was livid!
Shawn was no different! It was a rule to share all circumstances in which the females was found as an unspoken rule in the city of beasts. This was done to avoid certain unwanted conflicts! For instance, if this snake beastman ever came to claim a chance to pursue Sydney but they had no idea about it, they'd end up in a scuffle with a beast they can't beat! And now Caden had kept this with himself?!!
"So...now that the explanations are done...I have one question. WHERE IS MY FEMALE?!" A devious profile of a very handsome man came into their view. His eyes had shrunk into slits and his killing intent was far beyond being restrained. His hair was of a golden colour as well while his skin was a pale white and ice cold.
"I'm looking for her now." Caden had no words to say. He knew he was to die here. He had no idea where she was and he could only blame himself for his inability to protect her.
"Any last words?" Titan asked as he slithered from the trees and came before the group of four his heavy body causing the floor of the forest to shake as he slumped down lifting his human part to levitate to up to twenty feet off the ground the look down at them.
They were just a single serving if he wished to eat them.
"Can I see her one last time?" Caden dared to ask. There was no use saying much or even hoping to keep his life. With how livid this snake beastman was, there was no chance of survival.