Kemono and Yukania
Darkness.
It was all there was to see. In a panic, Dahlia looked in every direction but all she could find is nothingness.
The feeling of being lost, despair, and lonely, the feeling she hated. Dahlia runs looking for help in hope of someone to be there for her.
"Anyone? Is anyone there? Please…"
She cries and cries, but her legs give up long before she can find anyone.
"Please… Someone…"
Her body fatigued, and Dahlia dropped to the ground, feeling as if nobody is coming for her. She felt something sticky on her as it was covering both of her hands. In terror, she gathers her courage to look down at her hands.
With a mixture of confusion, horror, and peak adrenaline she found blood covering her hands. As her breath gets heavier, she touches her face, smearing the blood on her face. Her high-pitch scream pierces through the atmosphere.
***
It was dark, deep in the forest, far from Nigati Town. With the night breeze flowing rustling the leave of trees. In a state of panic, her eyes wide open, she jumped awake. Dahlia found herself lying in a cave. Her whole body sweats with her heavy breath, Dahlia vomits right after her nightmare.
"Why is this happening to me…" she sobbed.
In her frustration, she hit the ground, but she knew couldn't do anything about it, so Dahlia wiped her tears and tries to calm herself down. The sound of water drops from the cave ceiling helps Dahlia to regain her senses back.
However, Dahlia realised that she was in an unfamiliar place, so she looked around on guard worrying about her safety. Dahlia let out a sigh of relief when she finds herself to be safe. Her memory was hazy and her head was in pain when she tries to recall what just happened— she realises that she should not be there.
A drop of water fell from the ceiling of the cave as she was about to calm herself making her flinch, she looked over to her side. Once she realised it was just a water drop, she stood up and started to run for the exit.
From the distance, Dahlia slowed down her steps as she saw a fire camp at the exit. Dahlia could see something near it, she swallowed her spit, nervously before slowly walking closer to the fire camp. Bit by bit she could make up a man-shaped figure. It seems to be preoccupied with something.
Dahlia gasped as she realised that it was the same man that saved her earlier— she freezes in fear. Slowly walked backwards hoping the man didn't notice her. As she kept her eyes on the man, she tripped over a rock, making a loud noise as she fell to the ground. The man heard her fall and then turned over to see her down on the ground. He walked up to her.
Dahlia squeezes her eyes in fear and extends both of her arms out. "Don't hurt me!" she can feel the man, kneeling in front of her.
"Are you hungry? You're hurt."
Confused, she then slowly opened her eyes and was surprised to see the man holding a bowl of soup and a loaf of bread in his hands.
He offered her the soup and the bread to her, "Here, you must be hungry."
Dahlia realised that the man is not a threat to her. She hesitated for a moment before accepting the food, "Th-thank you," she stuttered.
The man understands why she reacts in such a way, he then walked back to the fire camp giving her a safe space between them to make her more comfortable.
Seeing him walking back to the campfire, Dahlia gathered the courage to walk up to him, "Th-thank you very much for saving me!" she bows as a sign of appreciation.
The man looked at her in surprise, "It-it's nothing," looking at her, she reminded him about something, "it's just your screams. It reminds me of someone I couldn't save," he said with a sorrowful look on his face.
She pities him, "I'm so sorry," she looked around in confusion, "E-excuse me, may I ask you where is this place?" she plays with her fingers anxiously.
"We're in the middle of Nigati Forest."
Dahlia was understandably shocked and terrified after knowing that.
"Ni-nigati?! I'm sorry but I have to leave now before they find me!" she hurriedly tried to leave.
The man was concerned, and he pointed to the woods, "I wouldn't advise it. It's dark now and this forest is full of monsters."
The Nigati Forest is known to be full of monster that lives in it. In fact, it was one of the most dangerous forests in terms of terrain on the Human Continent. This fact is well known to the general public, but this information has never reached Dahlia before.
Dahlia shivered as she looked into the darkness of that forest picturing what kind of monster might live in the forest, she could see as if there were bright red eyes lurking in the dark. Looking back at the man, she hesitated at first but decided against it and stay in the cave, and waited for the sun to raised. She sat in front of the man as she felt unsafe.
The atmosphere was all quiet with the fire crackling as the man stirred the soup inside of the pot and Dahlia waited anxiously for the sun to rise.
The man looked up and stared into her eyes, breaking the silence, "Young lady, what's your name?" he asked.
Dahlia looked down to the ground and stuttered, "M-m-me? My name is Dahlia Kemono," she said in a fluster. She's been stared at countless times before, but this time her face becomes beet red.
"Dahlia… It was a beautiful name," he compliment her while keeping eye contact as he give her a gentle smile.
She seemed nervous and couldn't maintain eye contact as she looked away in a fluster, "Th-thank you."
The man then introduces himself, "My name is Izz Yukan, I am an adventurer from the western side of the Other Half."
She looked terrified after hearing his last name, her body started to shake.
"Yu-yukan? A-are you a Yukanian?" her voice trembled as she pictured the viscous and dangerous Yukania.
Yukania, who was known to be ruthless, found themselves in ruin after the war which ended up with their reputation torn. Their role on the frontlines showed off their strength, which only made people fear them further after the war was over.
After the war, people looked at their actions as a terrifying warning of their capabilities.
Looking at her reaction, he holds both of her shoulders, "Are you alright?"
It scared her, Dahlia closed her eyes and embrace herself in fear. Dahlia tensed herself as she intensely wait to see what he was going to do to her. He let go of her, she felt as if nothing happened to her; slowly she opened her eyes— Dahlia was mesmerised by a pair of beautiful red eyes staring into her eyes.
"Beautiful," she murmured.
She regained her senses and calmed down— her face is bright red cause of shame.
Izz looked disappointed by her reaction. After Dahlia calmed he sat her down walked outside to the big rock half buried in the ground, and sat on top of it while gazing into nothing. Dahlia felt ashamed about how she acted toward the very person who just saved her.
Dahlia looked over to Izz and gathered her courage to walk up to him.
"I'm sorry for earlier! I'm being so disrespectful!" she bowed regretfully.
Looking down at her with his saddened eyes, "Aren't you afraid of me?" he asked.
Embarrassed, "N-no, because you saved me and gave me food. It would be rude for me to be afraid of you."
Seeing how regretful she is, he proudly smiles and accepted her apology. She looked happy as she smiled back at him, and she thanked him once again.
Their atmosphere is no longer awkward as she talks a lot to him while he just listens to what she has to talk about. Dahlia looked over the moon as she tells him about her average day.
However, Izz looked almost disgusted about how she thought her miserable life is normal. Izz wanted to get to know her more, so he asked Dahlia how she got into a human continent and ended up as a slave. The question makes her facial expression change from happy to gloomy.
Dahlia looked down, "10 years ago, I was kidnapped and brought here." her voice saddened.
"Kidnapped? 10 years ago? What happened?" he asked curiously.
She looked heartbroken before telling him her story, "10 years ago, far far away from here, in the forest near my village, I was looking for firewood when suddenly I heard loud noises coming from my village," she sobbed
"Terrified was an understatement. I saw my dad being murdered right in front of me. I was scared after what I just witnessed. I was running for my life as my instinct tell me to. I tried to look for my mom but I couldn't find her anywhere. Suddenly from behind someone covers my mouth and threw me into a carriage, I was caught by the humans. They smuggled me to the human continent. I haven't seen my mom since. They enslave me with other Kemono that were caught. Then I-" Izz interrupted her.
"You're a strong girl… I've heard enough," he said as he patted her head proudly.
Dahlia felt comforted, she leaned toward him. He wrapped his cape around her as a blanket, keeping her warm. It's been a while since the last time she feel this way. Comforted by someone. Dahlia started to picture her mom waiting for her at the village— it only served to hurt her emotionally. her eyes flooded with tears but she keep herself from crying.
Izz pities her as he holds her closer to him, "Do you want to go back to your village?"
Her eyes widened in surprise as she stood up, "Really!? Yes, I want to! I want to go back to my home!" she said excitedly.
Izz looked happy as he smiled at her, "Well then, I will escort you until you're home."
She couldn't hold herself from breaking into tears, she fell down to her knees— feeling like she has finally getting hope of returning to her hometown.
"Get enough sleep, so you prepare for our journey tomorrow,"
"Alright!" her voice cracked in excitement.
***