The Aftermath of an ***

I glared at Rave, cursing his loud mouth. I turned back to the humans we centered. They looked completely frazzled, no doubt from the ear-shattering screech Rave uttered. It was the only sound he could manage.

"What was that?" one of them cried. She bent down and grabbed a piece of wood with a flaming tip. It singed the leaves as she swooped it towards the trees, trying to find us.

"Dick, do you still have your knife?"

I stepped out from behind the tree, before one of them did anything drastic.

Leboni— Rave cautioned me with his thoughts but I waved him away.

"Greetings, friends," I announced and they looked my way. They gasped and gaped at my appearance, which was expected. My colony and I took the form of animals. We wore our Demi forms. Half human, half animal, half god.

What they saw now when they looked at me in shock—my yellow eyes with black slits for pupils, my wild red hair, and the ears and tail to match.

Rave stepped out of the dark and came to my side. He sighed with reluctance. The light produced by the fire brought out the red in the feathers of his black wings. He looked at me with narrowed black eyes. His skinny pointed tongue snaked out of his mouth with old habit.

Even though he was part bird, he did not have a beak. Instead, his lips jutted out slightly, giving him the look of a permanent pout, and he had no teeth. He never spoke aloud either. I did not know if that was out of choice or because he simply couldn't. Something about it though...was quite attractive.

I averted my eyes and stared at the humans again. I didn't realize before—which is funny, because it was highly noticeable—but everyone was naked. They all seemed to be holding some blue green mushrooms also.

"Who are you?" a dark-haired and fair-skinned women asked, being the first to step forward. She eyed my tail and it whisked around me, swatting away the night bugs.

"I am Leboni of the Alute tribe. My colony and I were hunting, and couldn't help but find you all out here as well."

"There's only two of you though," the man with the knife pointed out.

"Oh there are more of us I assure you. You might not be pleased to hear...but we have you surrounded." In fact, with my night vision I could see all of them lurking in the dark. They stood with a soldier's stance. Right hand grasping left wrist behind them, eye wary and attentive.

I grinned at their horror-struck faces.

"And may I ask of your names?" I made my tone as polite and gentle as I could.

The dark-haired one spoke up first. "I am Zakyra. My friends, Jan, Dick, Kirby, and Chrysis." She pointed to each person as she said the names, which helped me learn them better.

"You're not here to fuck with us, are you?" Dick asked.

Rave snorted beside me.

"No," I assured. "I come in peace." Rave threw a pointed look in my direction at the singular use in my words.

"Why are you here?" It was Jan who spoke this time. He spoke with unassuming softness, like silk. Just by looking into his eyes I could see that his politeness was just a front he put on. There was a hardness to him. To our kind, the behavior was common. Be a poison concealed with honey.

I tilted my head downward with respect as I answered, "As I have told you, we were simply sidetracked from hunting when your fire caught our eye. Curiosity. It's the only reason why I stand before you."

It was silent for a moment as the wind whistled around us and we looked at each other. Man to woman, woman to man.

Rave's flow of thoughts caught my attention. He was not speaking directly to me, but merely thinking. That didn't hide his fears and desires from myself though.

I considered a fleeting thought he let slip across his mind and didn't take the time to even really consider it himself. I wonder...

"Come with me, won't you?" I smiled encouragingly and locked eyes with each of the humans for a brief moment.

They all seemed hypnotized by my feline stare, because as I took one step back, they took one forward as if to follow.

"Follow me," I said and turned on my heels.

What are you doing, Leboni? Rave's furious voice echoed off the walls in my head.

Beku is waiting for us, was all I said to him.

As we walked, Chrysis caught up with me and matched footing. "So," he started, "because you're part cat...does that mean...you—"

"Yes?" I prompted.

"Have more hair in...places?" He lowered his voice down to a whisper.

Rave flashed me a hard, sideways glance. I do not like these humans, his voice spoke in my mind.

Ignoring Rave's opinion and unabashed by Chrysis's question I simply said, "You'd be surprised at the answer." I gave him a smirk and kept walking.

Chrysis fell back in pace with Dick and started to murmur and chuckle. I thought I heard something in there about a carpet and drapes, but I ignored it.

Rave walked because I walked. I walked because the humans walked. But the others of our kind, they either spread their wings, stretched their fins, or bounded on all fours ahead of us to get back to camp.

"Where are you taking us?" someone in the back—Kirby, I think—asked.

"You'll see," I replied, and pushed through a thick wall of vines.

The smell of blood on raw meat and fire entered the air and engulfed my senses.

Beku, Rave murmured.