81 - Not Meant To Belong (3.15k words)

Bart's POV

"Are you not going to summon Muir, Dear?" Skaris asked, still trying to locate the cloaked figure.

"There's no need. Let's head back," she said while Skaris carried her around the crater.

I handed her the thin sheet of paper the figure had dropped before disappearing. What technique could capture a scene and trap it inside a small piece of paper such as this?

The image showed a group of masked people in strange clothes, with one person's head scratched out as if someone wanted to erase them from their existence. The group was scattered between a swarm of gigantic flying creatures with sharp wings and a menacing appearance.

She accepted the paper from my hands, explaining, "Insectoids are a flying species with a hard exoskeleton and strong mandibles. It's good they are not here. It's hard to deal with their hive mind and swarm mentality." Her fingers stroked the scratched-out face. "This is me," she said as we headed back, "and these people used to be under my command."

"Did you recognize who that figure was?" Skaris asked, lifting his blindfold to look at the picture.

"Maybe," she revealed, her voice turning somber, "Most high-ranked members like Vick don't even know that I exist. Many that do, believe that I've betrayed them or died."

"Betrayed or died?" Skaris asked.

Both spoke in cryptic language, which only they understood. I didn't have the courage to ask what it all meant. I wanted to be a part of their world, but I couldn't bring myself to reveal my feelings and tell my selfish desires. I was just an experiment drowning in debt, without any right to demand anything.

"If I care for the weak, it's a problem; if I connect with the strong, they get taken away," she said, clutching her stomach as she leaned against Skaris's shoulder, "The weak are meant to live, but not survive. The strong are meant to survive, but not live. Either way, none of them are meant to belong."

"Are you in pain, Dear?" Skaris asked, observing her closely as she grew silent.

My eyes followed her movements. Her body twitched and jerked, her hand moving to cover her mouth.

"Dear?" Skaris's concerned voice grew louder, "Dear?!"

She coughed and vomited blood, her blue head cover stained in crimson.

I froze, my body growing stiff.

She coughed again and then threw up even more.

"Dear! Dear!" Skaris put her down and removed the head cover, taking a crystal out of his bag. "What's wrong?" he asked, his panicked voice filled with dread.

She hooked her arms around his neck, gasping for breath. "Let's go back to the Canal," she muttered, "The air is not good here."

Skaris carried her down the peak, his pace becoming faster. "Dear, please, don't scare me like this." 

I sprinted forward and shifted into a wolf for them to mount, my heart thumping. What was happening? What was wrong? Was she going to die? She already couldn't walk, so what's happening now? Why was she throwing up blood?

Skaris mounted my back. I ran at full speed, not once slowing down.

"My father will take you away one day, too," she said, her voice faint, "My freedom will become your shackles, and your love for me will become your prison. Betrayal or hopelessness ─ you'll end up hating me or hating yourself."

"Dear!" Skaris protested, "I'm your male. I belong to you. Please, don't say that. I will never hate you."

"When the time comes, no one will be able to refuse him, but don't worry," she said, her voice almost a whisper, "He can't keep us apart as long as I keep your spousal imprints. They are our lifeline, the only proof that you belong to me and I belong to you."

A dozen masked people in strange clothes appeared from above the skies as soon as she finished her words. They propelled themselves into the air with the help of their clothes, their strange weapons matching their attire.

Skaris slid down from my back and tried to shift into his wolf form, but she continued to hold onto him, preventing him from doing so.

"Hold onto me," she muttered as she coughed. Pulling out a pair of machetes from her belt, she deflected a blast of energy that came straight at us, sending it in a different direction, "I need you to become my legs, so don't let go."

Her voice woke me from my frozen state, and my paws kicked up dirt. But before I could take a step, a beam of light pierced my shoulders, knocking me onto the ground, and then another beam of light hit my back.

I howled, my body seizing and shaking. The group quickly surrounded us, their weapons pointed at our heads. The smell of my burned flesh and blood permeated the air. 

Two figures tried to drag me away, but before they could do so, their heads dropped from their shoulders. Their bodies slumped, lifeless, into the dirt.

My eyes widened as I saw her weapons fly back in her direction. She caught them with her bare hands. My eyes widened even more at her next action. She sent the weapon flying out of her grip with a powerful slash. Her toss was so strong it cut the enemy's body in half, splashing them across their face with their guts.

Their weapons fired beams of light continuously, but Skaris dodged and rolled out of the way, bringing her along with him. Her machetes cut through the air, severing the arms and legs of those standing on her left and right side.

"Bart," she called out, "Can you still move?"

My body shook as I struggled to get back onto my paws, nodding.

"Good boy," she said, "Stay put."

She and Skaris worked together to eliminate the enemies. One by one, she took them down until their bodies lay motionless in the dirt, and the last person dropped down before her feet.

When I thought it was over, the cloaked figure from the crater suddenly appeared before the last standing man, "Impatience breeds only destruction. Return back to face your punishment." With a mere gesture, he dismissed the man, who fled, narrowly escaping his death.

Skaris advanced, dragging Yaya alongside. Without warning, the cloaked figure's fist struck with a force that seemed to distort the very air. The blow connected with the hands holding Yaya, sending shockwaves through the ground. Both Yaya and Skaris were hurled down, crashing into the dust.

Yaya grabbed a hold of the figure's wrist as they fell, crushing it in her grasp, the sound of cracking bones loud in my ears.

The figure took advantage of her attack and yanked her forward, his feet slamming into Skaris's abdomen, forcing him to let go. He threw her off and dragged Skaris by the scruff of his neck.

She summoned her machetes and then threw them at the cloaked figure. Her weapons were fast. He had no time to dodge. His shoulder got cut deeply, yet he refused to release Skaris, who tried to fight his way out of his grip.

 I stared, frozen, as the scene played out before my eyes. The figure wasted no time. He vanished with Skaris, leaving behind a gastropod.

"You have a month left to return to your previous post," an authoritative voice sounded from within the gastropod, "Fail to report, and I'll take that little Tiger Queen's head. That's the last warning, and this is my final favor. Remember your place, brat."

A moment later, she collapsed onto the ground, her nails digging into the earth.

The vultures circling us in the skies flew down, their sharp claws landing on the corpses of the masked people. They pecked and pulled, ripping them apart. The equipment they carried and the weapons they used were all swallowed and devoured.

I limped to her side and shifted. I didn't understand. We were just fine, and now, we were like this. How could our lives turn upside down in a single instant?

I tucked away my soul stone and absorbed a clear crystal to help with the pain. "We need to leave here," I said.

She curled up as her hands pressed against her stomach, choking and retching on the ground. She could probably no longer hold in her emotions, which caused them to summon Vick, Muir, and Curtis all at the same time.

"What happened?" Vick asked, while Muir and Curtis almost went insane when they saw her state. I would have gone, too, if I had kept wearing that soul stone. 

Muir and Curtis immediately gave her clear crystals and checked her temperature and pulse. Everyone in this family knew some basic healing practices, not only for themselves and their female but also for the cubs.

"Skaris got taken away," I looked around the area, feeling helpless. Even if she summoned her males, they didn't have the weapons to fight the enemy. I pointed at the gastropod on the ground, "That thing said she has to return in a month, or the Tiger Queen's head will be taken next."

Vick's eyes looked lost and confused. "How could he?" he gritted his teeth, "Does he really want to see his daughter suffer so much?"

I watched him kneel down before her, his shoulders slumping, his head lowering. "I'm sorry," he apologized, his voice heavy as he picked her up and held her close, "I didn't know it would turn out like this. I didn't want things to end up like this. I just wanted you to be happy. I never thought he was just using me as bait, to draw you out, and take you back. If I had known..."

His voice cracked, his words failing him, "If I knew, I would have never tried to change things between us and just watched over you from afar. You've already been through so much. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

I watched Vick break down before me, his body trembling as he apologized continuously. I didn't know why, but I started crying even without the soul stone. Muir and Curtis also had tears running down their cheeks, their eyes red, and their lips quivering as they stayed close to her.

Everyone was hurting. Nobody has died, but all were grieving for her sake. It was painful to see her like this and not being able to do anything.

I stared at Vick as he hugged her, rocking her in his arms. "I'm sorry." His apology was filled with a lifetime's worth of guilt and regrets. He wiped away his silent tears and took a deep breath. "Muir, Curtis, take her to the canal. I'll go meet her father."

His words caused her condition to worsen, her breathing becoming heavy and her face contorting in pain. Muir's teeth clacked in distress while Curtis's face twisted into a mask of agony.

"It's fine. Don't worry. I won't allow him to use us to blackmail you," Vick gave her a kiss on her forehead and handed her to Muir, "I'll be right back. Wait for me," he said and tried to move away but she teleported him to her side.

"Fuck you, I'm not waiting for anyone," she said, her teeth clenching in pain, "I'll handle this. You just stay still, and don't fucking move."

"Precious," Vick began, but was soon cut off.

"Do as you're told, and don't think for even a second that I'm going to forgive you," she hissed, then closed her eyes, "I'm not in the mood for your shit right now."

Her dominance swept over everyone, punching us in the guts. It was usually Vick, who would be assuring everyone, keeping the morals high, but when he wasn't, her presence could easily replace his.

No matter how bad the situation looked, no matter how helpless we felt, when her authority swept over us, we felt that we could take on the world.

I was her male in name only, but I could feel her presence filling my lungs and pumping blood through my veins, giving me strength.

Muir and Curtis stopped crying. They had to. She didn't tell them to stop crying, but they did. She needed them to be strong and capable, her warriors and protectors, not her crying cubs.

Vick, too, straightened his back and tried to smile. Their eyes were still red, their lips still trembling, but they tried their best to keep themselves together.

I couldn't help but feel a strange sense of comfort in knowing that she would take charge. Even if the future seemed dark, and even if we didn't have the power to fight our battles, her will alone could move mountains and the sea.

We waited for her condition to stabilize, all of us keeping an eye out for any more intruders, but none came.

· · ─────── · ⊱❈⊰· ─────── · ·

We moved to the canal, where Gold set up a temporary camp. When he saw us, he immediately sensed that something was wrong, and his full attention switched to Yaya after he treated my wounds.

The four didn't leave her side, probably discussing their next actions, so it was on me to do the errands.

I had summoned a pack of wolves within the vicinity to watch over the territory, so no mermen or peacocks complained when I issued orders to them in Gold's stead. Or maybe it was because nobody dared to disobey YaYa's males, or anyone, who had some connections with her.

Yaya no longer hid the fact that she lied about Bart's (my) death to the peacocks, so my identity became a bit complicated. She revealed that I had exchanged my life to save Rosa. Now, everyone knew I was Rosa's mate but had to serve as Yaya's male because of the trouble Rosa caused. It made Mandy even more fearful and wary of Yaya, which was a bonus for the mermen.

I was there when Yaya put Rosa to sleep and tattooed my old spousal imprint on her body before she was sent to the Peacock Tribe. The design was exactly the same as my old one, only the color was a different shade.

In order to become a normal beastman, I could use my relationship with Rosa to join a community with my old identity. As long as I could control myself, nobody could accuse me of being a rootless, not even Rosa. It would be her word against mine, and if her side of the story came out, she'd be the one who would appear unreasonable and crazy.

A set of new rules was established within the Peacock tribe:

1. To prevent power abuse within the tribe, the tribe's females couldn't take in males from other species except for their own.

I wondered if the Leopard King made Queen Memi follow a similar rule. Her mates were all leopards, after all.

The Peacocks and Mers took the opposite approach to the Beast City, where beastmen of mixed species lived together. They were also among the few, who didn't join the Tiger Queen's and King's faction, keeping a neutral standpoint. 

2. Females with males from other species were not allowed to live within their respective tribes. They could request to mate with their males, but those males would have to move out and bring their clutch of eggs back to the tribe and hatch them there like the eagle beastmen.

3. Males could only court females during their heat (once a year) to increase their chances of having offspring after the spousal imprint ritual.

4. Females could only get one new spousal imprint a year (during her heat).

5. The whole tribe provided for their females' protection and needs, not only their mates. This prevented the females from needing to take in too many males.

7. A female's worth and value were judged only by her actions.

8. Females were a blessing in disguise. With the right collective nurturing, they could become honorable figures, but with the wrong one, they could bring disaster.

9. You don't need a female to thrive.

"Hey, you!"

I carried the bucket of water I was fetching for Yaya, ignoring Rosa's shouting.

Rosa continued to follow me with her peacock male. "Why are you ignoring me, you jerk?" she stomped her foot, "Answer me, Bart!" She rushed to me, about to grab me, but I dodged, and she almost tripped.

I subtly extended my foot, assisting her with the fall.

She fell straight into the dirt, her face planting the ground.

I should have tossed away the soul stone a long time ago. It has only made me seem weak and useless in the face of my past.

My eyes traced the fake spousal imprint on Rosa's left thigh. Would Yaya tattoo her version of her spousal imprint on me if I asked her? To make it more obvious that I belonged to her? To remind everyone and myself of my sacrifice?

I crouched down, bringing my face closer to Rosa's, my lips spreading into a cold smile. "My heart, my mind, my body, and even my soul, I sold them all to the female inside of that tent," I pointed at the entrance of Yaya's tent, "It wasn't to save your life, Rosa," I paused, long enough for my words to seep in, "To escape your grasp, I offered Yaya my life. So, tell me, why should I return to a female who has nothing to offer me besides headaches and a broken heart?"

Rosa's expression crumbled. The peacock by her side looked away. He knew he needed my connections with the Scorpion King to keep Rosa in check. Just like she could threaten him by removing his spousal imprint, he could threaten her back by moving to Flame City, where they could live together.

I was the one with power now. Rosa's life was in my hands, and I will make sure she was well aware of it.

I stood, turned around, and headed towards Yaya's tent to fetch her the water.

From all the chaos, I didn't even have time to get a closer look at her face.

╔═══ Author's note ════╗

Vick got tricked by YY's father it seems. He must be really blaming himself right now. He just wanted the best for YY. 😥

They are all trying hard to build a strong facade but are crumbling inside. The hope that her father might have changed for the better shattered like nothing. 😭 

Now we understand why YY felt so sick when Vick left her after the banquet with Queen Memi in ch. 48. The symptoms reappeared before Skaris was taken away and blew up after he was gone. 😔

A song that inspired me to come up with Emo Bird's character: 

Do you like it? 🫣 Vultures are known for their immense patience, which will be his signature trait. ❤️

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