Chapter 4: United Bodies
While screaming witlessly inside her head, she could only feign calmness on the outside.
Although she had once anticipated going out to parks and visiting wildlife, she had never expected it to make that damn wish come true to this extent!
And isn't it too late for that?
'Oh goddess, mercy! I only asked to have a glimpse the most I wanted was to touch a cute panda's paw, not live with a huge red bear! And it's not just one but two ferocious figures.'
This situation is making her want to cry and laugh like crazy.
'I don't need a freebie! I can understand even if you don't make that wish anymore. Please take it back. Take both of them back!' she cried desperately inside her head but to no avail.
Come on! That was a wish she had when she was a little kid!
Why does it feel like it's back to haunt her when she's already too old to care?!
This isn't funny at all!
All of a sudden, she had the maddening urge to ask them, 'This is a zoo, right? Don't tell me this is some secret civilization inside the Amazon!' she gasped.
Wait, does Amazon still exist decades after the apocalypse descended?
Perhaps she's really lost her mind!
Ugh... But she wasn't that crazy to say it out loud lest things get ugly for her. Well, not that things aren't already bad.
'Good grief, Aella! Good grief! P-Pull yourself together! Get a grip, oh self!' chanted the girl while exhaustively attempting to calm her frantic self.
To be honest, she was so distressed and scared to even take a breath openly.
She wanted to whine and whimper but her parents weren't here to pamper and coax her, 'And I can't even understand what they're saying. I don't even know if they understand me at all!'
Everything was just very confusing on her part and she's becoming more and more agitated because of what was happening around her.
Even the dream she had, seeing a strange man with scaly patterns, doing scandalous things to her body.
Aella hastily shook her head in derision, '... that was just a bad dream! A creepy nightmare!'
Be that as it may, what she sees in front of her eyes right now is a huge beast of a snake and bear, how can a beast be a man at the same time?
She had seen higher spirits capable of transforming into a humanoid form but Aella doesn't feel any fluctuation of spiritual energy coming from them at all.
Is that even possible?
'A new species? Surely, there should have been records in the clan about them if that was the case. But...' she couldn't remember reading such information after scouring the entirety of their clan's library.
Was she so anxious that even her mind was playing tricks on her?
All she could hear was hissing and low growls, but they seemed to listen when she asked them not to mind her at all and just continue with their business.
'Do they or do they not? Aish! I hope they do, and then maybe I can plead with my life and return home.'
The girl covertly weighed her chances as she put down the spoon that she didn't find useful at all.
'They even let me have the sole bed inside this cottage. Even if my body feels sore and weirdly exhausted, I think it's better than them hurting me.'
At this point, she felt a bit hopeful but still couldn't make out how she came to be with these two.
Slowly, she lifted the bowl to her face pretending to take a sip from it. Her eyes remained attentive but her mind was already rummaging for a spell she could cast to help her in this situation.
Thus, a while later, with her face half-covered, Aella's gloom brightened a little. She bit her tongue and started whispering a complex spell she wished to work.
"By the ancient tongues of earth and air,
By the murmurs of waters deep and fair,
Grant me the ears to hear and weave,
The secret speech that all beasts breathe.
From the humble ant to the soaring hawk,
From the silent fish to the flowers' talk,
Bestow upon me the gift so rare,
To commune with life, anywhere.
Let this spell bind with a witch's might,
As I chant under the moon's soft light,
With a heart sincere and intentions pure,
Open the gateway to nature's allure.
Arcana Linguarum!"
***
[A/N: The Latin phrase "Arcana Linguarum" translates to "Secrets of Languages".]
As the incantation took hold, a crisp autumn breeze caressed Aella's cheeks, carrying whispers of enchantment that sought her soft ears.
The magic she cast seemed delicate but was undoubtedly potent. It wove its way to her tongue, mending the laceration from her bite with a tingling warmth.
Sounds, once muddled and elusive, now unfolded before her with clarity, as familiar and effortless as the melody of her own heartbeat.
For a fleeting moment, relief washed over Aella. The spell had indeed taken effect!
From the gust of wind to the chirping of birds and buzzing of insects, it's as if a whole new whole had emerged to the scene and opened up to her.
She can now hear every single creation loud and clear!
"Amazing..." Aella unknowingly blurted out.
However, the surge of joy that swelled within her chest was swiftly eclipsed by dread in an instant. Her hands, quivering with the weight of realization, let go of the earthen bowl.
It plummeted to the ground, shattering with a finality that mirrored the impact of the giant python's revelation—striking her with the force of an unforeseen truth.
"That female is my woman now!" hissed the black python with an unconcealed threat towards the crimson bear.
"We have united our bodies and successfully mated. Even if you wish to breed with her, now that she has awakened, you can only ask for her permission, Claw. I won't allow you to force her into submission—"
He was baring his pair of humungous fangs when he was abruptly stopped by the sudden clanging of the bowl on the floor.
Breed?!
Submission?!
For the love of God! What in the world is going on!!
A look filled with horror etched on the female's expression instantly entered his sight. And at that moment, it wasn't only him but even the bear named Claw had a sudden premonition that something wasn't right.
"Fang..." he called out to him minutely and motioned his head with suspicion, "Hey, hold it for a second!" Claw furrowed his brows, noticing something amiss.
Is it just him? Or…
"Don't you think that meek female is suddenly having a big reaction?" his voice trailed off, eyeing Aella with suspicion.
Did she suddenly understand what they were talking about?
But how is that possible?
Nothing remarkable happened around her. Claw and Fang could tell as much sense their eyes never left the female who had just literally roused from death!
She wasn't supposed to figure them out!