The road to freedom was a bumpy, sweaty, and overall miserable one. It was the worst time of the year to be doing this. They had to stop often to avoid overheating. Sometimes they had the convenience of villages, but most times they did not. They often had to camp out under the stars. That sounded dreamy, but it was far from it given the circumstances.
Most beastmen that they ran into did not try their luck. They were often more surprised to run into them than the group was. That wasn't to say some rouges did not try because they did. Things did not end well for those foolish beasts.
Their biggest problems were the heat, the rain, and the gigants. The giant creatures were almost always hostile no matter what species they resembled. The group was diverted several times thanks to them.
Four days into their travels, Elizabeth caught a flu causing them all to stop at the nearest village. Nana was actually happy to have an excuse to take a break, though she did feel sorry for Elizabeth. The poor woman was pregnant and ill. Nana threw Kaito the tiniest life kon she had. He gratefully accepted and swore to pay her back. Nana didn't argue.
Maybe it was due to the main character being the center of the world, but Nana met the second male lead and the novel's Elizabeth's first mate. They weren't in his village, but he was visiting the neighboring ones looking for herbs. Sensing the opportunity, Nana sold him some herbs in exchange for food. Nana and her mates were exhausted, so the break from having to hunt was nice.
The light-skinned wolf male thanked them profusely with moist eyes. The main lead then dropped the food before running away to his sick mother. It wasn't a sham. His mother really was dying. Nothing short of the strongest life kon could help and Nana wasn't using it on a someone she did not even know the name of. Her family would always come before a stranger, and there was no telling when they'd need it.
They rested until Elizabeth recovered. While they were waiting, Nana and her family sat down with the harpy male, the newly elected boss of Awa's group. They discussed traveling together for the rest of the way to Nana's destination.
However, the village they were going to was not on the way to the City of Rain. Awa's home was south-west from the City of Gold and almost dead south of the village they were heading to. They still insisted and Nana wasn't going to complain about the extra protection.
During their days together, Awa mellowed out a little. She no longer looked liked she'd bite Nana or Kaito, though Nana would still say the young female did not like her at all. Awa had also come to like Elizabeth and Dakotah quite a bit. Those two were able to pacify the wild child much to the group's collective relief.
Fortunately or unfortunately, both Nana and Elizabeth gained admirers from the group of males that traveled with them. Nana was too occupied to consider it and Elizabeth was definitely not in the mindset or health to think about it. For both of them, that was a consideration; rather, a concern for another day.
For the duration of the trip, Nana kept her boys together and always slept by Zen's side. They hadn't had a chance to discuss what has happened, but she had missed him too much to not seek his comfort. When Elizabeth was up and ready to move again, they got on their way.
It took them 16 days to reach their destination from start to finish. There were injuries, but no casualties from the group. When they reached the home Amil and Karan prepared for them, Nana rejoiced. She allowed Awa and Elizabeth to sleep there with her once her mates cleaned it out. Kaito went to secure a den for him and Elizabeth, but there was no rush.
The villagers were familiar with Amil and Karan, but seeing the whole group arrive together shook them up. A meeting was had with the patriarch of the village to confirm their intentions. Nana left that up to the males to address and crashed. While she wasn't sick, exhaustion had hit her and her cubs hard. Elizabeth and Awa were not doing great either.
Nana slept deeply that night. It was late afternoon when she went to sleep and evening when she woke up. She had slept for more than a day cycle. The smell of food was what enticed her back to consciousness. Without it, she would likely have slept longer.
Awa stirred and slunk out of the room to get food. Elizabeth still slept deeply, but Nana's boys were already moving. Nana found herself in her beast form and shifted first.
Nana's eyes drooped as she slowly looked around. Her gaze was blurry, so she rubbed her eyes. Once she cleared them of crust, Nana tried to find clothes. Her stomach growled loudly as if to convince her that her priorities were in the wrong order.
Troy moved the fur curtain that separated the room from the living area. Nana's eyes ceased their current mission and honed in on the bowl of food he was carrying. The drool pooled in her dry mouth and she swallowed it. The goal to find clothes was temporally forgotten. All that mattered to her was the meal that smelled so tantalizing.
Troy brought it directly to her and Nana started wolfing it down. She choked and Troy tapped her back several times. Amil rushed in with a cup of water in hand. Karan who was passed out in the corner of the room stirred when he heard the slapping of flesh. After finding nothing wrong and Nana heartily eating, he fell back asleep.
Nana drank and ate until she was stuffed. Despite having slept so long, she found herself falling right back asleep. Amil covered her gently with a thin blanket before laying out a simple robe for Nana to use when she woke up again.
The next morning, Nana found herself wrapped in coils. When she moved, she felt the sensation directly. Nana was reminded that she wasn't wearing clothes and poked Karan. He loosened his hold slightly, but not enough to free Nana.
While intimacy with her mate wasn't new to Nana, she wasn't expecting it now. She couldn't even get embarrassed because she had to use the bathroom like now. Once she convinced Karan to let her go, she hastily threw on her robe and went outside. Unfortunately, the waste pot was more of a waste hole in the ground. Amil was kind enough to erect a wooden wall around it, but no toilet was there for her to sit on. Hovering it was.
"Ah, Nana. I had something to discu—." The leading harpy eagle from the group flew down.
"Not now, Paulo." Nana would have run if she didn't think gravity would do her so much harm.
Nana's fast walk sent her robe fluttering, but Nana did not care. The only important thing now was to empty her bladder somewhere besides her legs.
Paulo, the harpy eagle that had been the coordinator for the Awa protection group, had good eyes. No, they were great eyes. Which is why he caught sight of exposed skin he shouldn't have. Having been distracted, Paulo found his wings grazing tree branches that sent him tumbling. Thankfully, Nana had slammed the door of the waste building and failed to notice his disgraceful blunder.
Nana did her business while Troy managed to catch sight of the eagle's clumsy display. The kangaroo male rolled his eyes and waited for Nana to come out.
When she was done with her potty squat, Nana breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of makeshift toilet paper. Sometimes, blessings are small but nonetheless great. Nana stretched good after stepping out of the outhouse. The foreign scents all around her caught her attention, but nothing especially concerning stood out to her.
The circumstances of their move weren't nice, but that didn't mean Nana wouldn't find something good about it. She was eager to explore the new place. Before she could, Paulo insisted on having some of her time. Troy disagreed as he swept her off her feet and brought her to the breakfast table.
Paulo understood and inconspicuously hid his fruit-filled bag behind him. The macaw who perched close by watched their temporary leader and scoffed at him. For a male so strong in battle, Paulo was terrible at wooing a female. The macaw preened his beautiful red feathers. He had no issues attracting female attention, but the female he wanted was not here. He hoped this job would end soon.
Nana ate heartily and checked over her family and guests. Everyone seemed healthy except for Elizabeth. The woman's appetite was not much and Nana worried for the unborn cubs. Since Elizabeth was a responsible person at heart, Nana decided to make use of that.
"You should eat more," Nana insisted.
Elizabeth sighed. "I know, but it's hard to make myself."
Nana popped a fruit slice into her mouth and held an extra up to Elizabeth. "I'm sure, but the cubs need the food as much as you do." Elizabeth hesitated for a second before accepting the offering.
"I'll try," the woman said as she bit into the citrusy slice.
"Zen," Dakotah whispered from across the room. "Elizabeth is female. What does that mean?" He stared hard at the two females.
Nana's eyebrow twitched as Elizabeth forced a few more bites of food down. Nana and Zen both responded at the same time. "Nothing."
"Nothing, what?" Elizabeth's eyebrows drew into a frown of confusion, but her eyes showed curiosity.
Nana sighed and gave her shoulder a pat. "Nothing, as in nothing."
The subject was dropped and they continued to eat. Unlike Elizabeth, Awa ate with gusto. She did not hold back and even asked for seconds by shoving her bowl forward. Nana wasn't her mother, but that wasn't a way to ask for food from another family. Thankfully, Nana didn't have to speak up as Elizabeth corrected the young female first.
The little princess had been constantly receiving reality checks since all this occurred. Nana felt for her, but not enough to coddle her. Nana would be nice, but she didn't have to bow down. Not here, not now. It was a little late for etiquette. Awa hadn't paid her respects to Zen either. No one felt like posturing.
Once breakfast wrapped up, Nana went out with Troy to talk to Paulo. Karan was off hunting which Nana was grateful for. He needed time away and the group of tag-a-longs needed a break from his constant observation.
Paulo sat on a stump outside wearing a roughly tied fur skirt. His caramel-colored skin seemed more muted than usual thanks to the cloud coverage they were experiencing. The breeze ruffled his two-toned, shoulder-length hair. The contrast between the white and dark grey hair stood out and looked quite good on him.
Nana put the thought out of her head. She had to capture her own flyaway strands and recalled that she had not brushed it at all. "What do you need to discuss?" Nana got right to the subject at hand.
Paulo placed his hand on his head as he pushed the hair back. It wasn't in his face, but he always had that habit. His action dislodged one of the tiny braids that he liked to weave into his hair causing it to fall over his feathered ear.
"We are securing a den for the princess. I realize we do not have the best circumstances, but we want no trouble with you," Paulo said.
"Why does she need a den?" Troy asked with a raised brow.
"She needs rest and safety. We have sent a flyer ahead to notify the king and queen of our plans." Paulo's golden eyes flickered between the two present.
Another gust picked up, ruffling Paulo's hair. He pushed it back without thinking as he glanced at the sky. His senses told him that rain was not likely.
"Okay, but why tell us?" Nana felt they had no reason to spill their plans at this point. They traveled together, but they weren't exactly buddies.
Paulo pulled at one of his braids before catching himself. "Curtesy," he said sounding unsure. "It just felt like you should know. You have been taking care of the princess..."
Nana accepted that as it was since it was easier. She knew Zen was listening. He could pick apart the other male's intentions. Nana's boys came busting out of the den with Awa in tow, ending the conversation there. Nana heard some scolding from Elizabeth and smiled. The woman was getting good 'mom' practice.
Dakotah followed them out. Nana had an idea since Paulo quit speaking. "Let's go check out the village." Nana grinned with newfound excitement. She had to at least look the place over.
"Yes!" shouted Tashi.
"We investigate!" added Aden.
Nana wasn't sure he knew what investigate meant, but he did use it properly. Nana smiled and praised her boy. Awa puffed up her chest and said she was going to investigate too. Nana did not praise her, not that the child wanted that from Nana anyway.
Elizabeth looked torn about going, but Nana did not insist she come.
In the end, they all left to go to the communal area. Nana noted that the foliage was sparse. She could make out several dens despite being far away from them. The den Karan had picked for her was in the more covered area, but the trees thinned out as they made their way along.
Paulo followed them overhead and some of Awa's squad also tagged along. Nana thought they might look like the group of tourists they were. Any beasts they passed looked at them with weariness or curiosity. There was actually quite a variety of beasts if the many different scents were anything to go by.
They made their way to the common area that had a fair amount of people gathered. All the chatter around them died when they entered the picture. Curious stares stabbed the group. Elizabeth hid behind Kaito the best she could. Awa returned some of the stares with a challenging growl. Nana scanned her surroundings without focusing on any beast.
"Pr-Awa." Paulo caught himself. "They are not challenging you," Paulo said gently.
Amil lifted his lip at the male eagle. He got too close to Nana for his liking. Nana waved Amil off. As long as Paulo respected Nana's personal space, she was fine with his presence.
"Then I should challenge them." Awa jutted out her chin confidently.
Paulo looked to Elizabeth and Nana with pleading eyes. Nana tried to keep her lip from upturning and looked away. Awa was not her responsibility. If he wanted her educated on the more traditional female behavior, he was going to have to do it himself or find someone that isn't her.
Paulo tried to explain that females outside of her home city did not engage in combat. The look of disbelief on Awa's face was something.
"They are all weak?" Awa said weak like it was a dirty word and glanced to Nana for confirmation.
'Why look at me me?' Nana thought. "Most are in terms of physical prowess."
After Nana agreed, Awa's face scrunched up in disgust. Nana made a mental note to ask about the City of Rain later. She was curious and the novel didn't cover much on that city.
"Nana isn't," Troy added smoothly. "I imagine she'll get her power mark sometime soon."
The beasts around had been listening intently to the conversation and many eyes widened at the new information. Nana glared at Troy who only offered her a wink. Awa looked skeptically up at her.
Several males decided that a strong female was enough of a curiosity for them to approach. Troy grinned wide and placed himself in front of Nana. It was then that Nana got what he was trying to do.
"Have you seriously not fought enough yet?" Nana asked as if the answer wasn't apparent.
Troy shrugged. "I don't think that's possible."
Nana sighed deeply while Paulo flexed his power. The three white feather tattoos on his stomach caught most eyes. His muscles tensed up for good measure. The display was enough to dissuade several males from approaching. Troy looked disappointed.
Amil was glad it did not turn into a fight. Dakotah scratched his head unsure of what he should be doing. Nana's boys waited for the okay to go on their own. Kaito remained quiet but his eyes were steely.
"Newcomers." The patriarch of the clan showed up and greeted them. His four power marks were also on display. The tiger male continued to address them. "We are glad to have you join us even if it's only temporarily." His eyes were focused and serious, but his expression was not tense.
"We do not force the females to choose males here," he continued. "But you are required to show up at our annual choosing event if you spend more days here than you need to recuperate."
Elizabeth flinched at the rather obvious name, whereas Nana just stared ahead looking bored. Nana realized her problem and tried to give the patriarch a more interested expression.
"We are holding it when the first leaves change color. You should have no trouble finding the gathering when the time comes." His monologue went on without waiting for anyone's response. "If you have any questions, ask the single males. All will tell you anything you want to know." He then turned to the village males present. "Don't get yourselves killed before then."
After his motivational words, the patriarch left. Nana's brows rose high on her face. While she didn't find him inspiring, it was nice to know that the patriarch appeared sort of lax.
Instead of freaking out like Elizabeth was starting to do, Nana sicced Troy on the males and tasked him with picking one from the group to teach them about the choosing event. Troy cracked his knuckles with a somewhat feral grin on his face. Some males shivered, others took the challenge.
While Troy was having his fun, Nana found a bench to sit on. The benches were literally just solid logs laying down. Dakotah found a good spot with no roughness while Amil cleaned it the best he could. The over-the-top attentiveness brought a smile to Nana's face.
Awa got bored very quickly and challenged Nana's boys. Amil had to remind them, with incredible strictness, that Awa could not receive a single scratch. Nana let Amil be authoritative. If an accident happened, she would have to part with a life kon to fix it and that wasn't okay. Her cubs had to play nice or not play at all.
Nana threw in a small threat to Awa about not hurting her boys. "If they end up hurt, you won't be allowed to play with them again." That seemed to rile Awa up more, but Nana couldn't help that. Hopefully, they would all try hard to listen.
Several young cubs approached curiously. Most of their parents collected them before they could join, but two wolf pups were unchaperoned. They joined the play after Nana instructed them to be very careful. While she did that, Paulo picked up the ripped fabric of Awa's clothes. One of the other harpy eagles dropped a pouch that he caught easily. The masculine man then sat down and focused on sewing.
Nana found the picture funny, in a cute way, and laughed lightly while covering her mouth. Paulo did not miss that and sat up straighter in response.
Paulo wasn't the only one paying attention. Amil watched the male and Nana nervously. He was happy she was laughing now, but he didn't like that it was at another male. His tail flicked about as he thought about it. Since the City of Rain was one of the invaders to the City of Gold, Amil could not trust any of the males from it. He knew Nana needed the protection, but Amil almost hoped she would find a male from the village instead of Paulo.
Zen had remained thoughtful and quiet the whole time. He had been thinking about what to tell Nana over the past couple of days. It was only a matter of time before she asked him about what happened. Telling Nana everything was ill-advised until he confirmed the state of the city and its rulers, but there was much he could divulge. He should be able to tell her about his deal with Akito, though he may spare her some of the smaller details.
Dakotah didn't know what made Nana laugh, but he was really glad to hear it. It felt like forever since the last time he had. Suddenly, a thought occurred to him, 'Could I do somethin to make her laugh?' Dakotah's tail wiggled at the idea, but he had a problem: he didn't know what to do.
Troy finished up his last fight and dragged the loser back with him. The leopard male played dead, but found it no use. His body ached and he may have broke a few bones, but he could talk at least. The leopard male sat up and feasted his eyes on two beauties. He decided that his loss was worth it.
The male was then grilled by those present on the choosing event and the village's customs. Nana knew she chose; rather, Karan chose a good place. Things were very simple here. If a female chooses a male and the male says yes; wallah, marriage success. That was on a normal day. The choosing event allowed the males to approach the female and attempt to win them over. Unless the female has her own mates remove the males forcefully, they get to try their luck all evening.
All females were expected to make an appearance unless they were pregnant or ill. If they were, they could stay home. Even young and old females were required to attend. Like the patriarch said, attendance was mandatory, but choosing a male was not.
Since they had the male, Nana asked him about the village in general. She learned that there were over 900 males in the village and just over 60 females. A fair size. Not too large, but not small either.
There were smaller villages that often did trade with this one. As they were located centrally between four major cities, they saw a lot of different beasts pass though.
As far as politics and etiquette went, the patriarch's female has the highest position among females, but has no real responsibilities. The patriarch's rules were law, but there weren't many. Just the standard ones like; don't hurt females, don't force females, and don't go on murdering sprees just because.
The patriarch and his strongest males ran the show pretty much. They didn't practice slavery either which was important. The City of Dunes did, though they went about it more humanely than most others. It didn't make the act morally acceptable, but at least slaves there were treated like living beings with rights. In the City of Ash, not so much.
All in all, Nana found the village simple and preferable. Nana had the male give them a tour of the grounds. It wasn't much. They had stalls like in the city and one area where females were said to gather to chat and gossip. They did have a major river that supplied water and acted as another gathering spot.
The village wasn't perfect, but Nana didn't think it was bad. They did, however, need to add to the den and make it more livable. It was just big enough for her family now, but they will likely have to expand it in the future. Nana also really wanted a bathroom and a storage room. She was getting distracted with thoughts of renovation.
The male was released from his duty, and he left while throwing them several backward glances. Nana ignored the obvious pining. She wasn't the target anyway and the actual one wasn't aware.
They walked around a little more until the wolf cubs were found by their father. They whined and reluctantly left. The group went to the river next. Amil was handed the purse and sent to buy goods for the den. The locals recognized Amil and relaxed more around him.
Once they arrived at the river, Nana kicked off her shoes and looked around. They could only swim down river so as to not contaminate the drinking water. Confirming that they were far enough along, Nana picked up her skirt and hopped into the shallows. Dakotah jumped in, sending a wave rolling. Nana's skirt got soaked. Feeling that her effort was pointless, she stopped trying and went swimming.
Zen leaned against a tree and watched for danger. Troy cannon-balled into the river right next to Nana. Awa flung her beastly self in, and Nana's boys played follow the leader. Kaito remained by Elizabeth's side and helped her sit on the bank.
As Nana got a face-full of wave, a giant caiman rose to the surface of the water. Nana recognized it as one of Awa's protectors and relaxed. The intimidating beast floated along. He bothered none of them and did not start a conversation. An anaconda male was the next to expose himself. His ridiculously large body soaked in the shallows as more beasts came and joined them.
They all remained a fair distance away. Karan had made it known that Nana wasn't to approached unless she wanted it that way. There were not a lot who wanted to risk themselves unnecessarily. The two in the group that were interested in Nana were careful. The three that were watching Elizabeth had no choice but to remain back since she was always with Nana.
Once they had cooled down, they went back to the den.