Chapter Thirty Four

Sally's words hang in the air, her hands still raised in a calming gesture. The deer kin woman eyes her warily, the spear still pointed at Sally's chest. The other pregnant women, watch with a mix of curiosity and suspicion.

"I am Dagi," the deer kin woman says finally, her voice firm but with a hint of exhaustion. "And these are my companions, Britta and Perena." She gestures to two other women, another deer kin and a rabbit kin, each with their own unique features and scars. Behind them are four more pregnant women.

"Now then, 'Sally', you look a little too young to be out here. Just how did you get lost?" Dagi finally lowers her spear, a hint of caution in her eyes.

Sally mind immediately races as she thinks of a suitable answer. "I'm not exactly sure how I got here. I just woke up in some kind of battle field not too long ago." She replies vaguely.

Dagi narrows her eyes, not satisfied with the answer. "And, what land did you come from?"

Sally smirks inwardly. "Japan." Dagi takes a moment to think. "I've never heard of this Japan, although I'm not too knowledgeable on things beyond my forest."

Sally shrugs, "Must be really far." Dagi's eyes linger on Sally for a moment longer before she finally nods, seemingly accepting the explanation for now. She turns to the other women, signaling for them to lower their weapons. Britta and Perena relax their stances, but their eyes remain fixed on Sally, still wary.

"You can stay with us for now," Dagi says, her voice softening slightly. "But know this, any sign of hostility, and you will be dealt with swiftly."

Sally nods, surprised at the ferocity of what should be a helpless woman. "I understand. Thank you."

The group moves cautiously through the forest, their footsteps barely making a sound on the soft earth. The forest canopy above is thick, allowing only slivers of sunlight to pierce through and cast dappled shadows on the ground. Sally follows close behind Dagi, her senses alert to every rustle and whisper of the forest around them.

As they walk, Sally takes in the details of her surroundings. The forest is ancient, with towering trees whose trunks are as wide as houses. Vines hang down like curtains, and the air is filled with the chirping of unseen insects and the distant calls of birds. Despite the serene beauty, there is an underlying tension, a sense that danger could strike at any moment.

The women lead Sally to a small clearing where a modest camp is set up. There are makeshift tents made from animal hides and branches, a fire pit with embers still glowing, and a few scattered belongings. It's a humble setup, but it's clear that these women have survived here for some time.

Dagi gestures for Sally to sit by the fire, and she does so, grateful for the warmth. The other women settle around the fire as well, their eyes still flicking to Sally with a mix of curiosity and suspicion.

"So, Sally," Dagi begins, her tone more conversational now. "Tell us more about this place you came from. This 'Japan'."

Sally takes a deep breath, thinking carefully about how to answer. "Japan is a land of mountains and forests, much like this one. It's a place of ancient traditions and modern cities. But... it feels like a world away from here."

Britta, the second deer kin, leans forward, her eyes filled with curiosity. "And how did you end up here? In this forest?"

"I wish I knew," Sally admits, her voice tinged with frustration. "One moment I was... somewhere else, and the next, I was in the middle of that battlefield. It's like I was pulled here against my will."

Perena, the rabbit kin, speaks up for the first time. "Do you have any idea who or what could have brought you here?"

"Not a clue," Sally sighs, gazing into the fire. She draws her ocean blue dagger, staring at the shimmering blade.

One of the other women, Jurai, a wolf kin, leans forward. "It's beautiful." she murmurs, her eyes fixed on the dagger.

Sally nods, running a finger along the blade. Dagi watches her closely, the firelight casting flickering shadows on her face. "You mentioned a battle, not too far from here."

Sally nods, slipping the dagger back into its sheath. "Yes, like I said, I just woke up there-" Sally spends the next few minutes explaining the event.

////

As the night wears on, the camp settles into a rhythm. Sally helps where she can, gathering firewood, fetching water from a nearby stream, and assisting with other small tasks. The women seem to accept her presence, though the wariness in their eyes never completely fades.

Sally lies down on a makeshift bed of leaves and soft moss, exhaustion finally catching up with her. Her thoughts drift to the battle, the strange creatures, and the mystery of how she ended up here.

After hearing her story, the women had broken down in tears and had eventually shared theirs. The location of the battlefield had originally been a small settlement.

For a period of time, beastkin and demi-humans were persecuted by humans. The humans believed them to be a stain on the world, a blight upon the purity of their civilization. They hunted them mercilessly, driven by a fervor that bordered on fanaticism.

The Empire was the main culprit of this relentless purge. They enforced laws that declared beastkin and demi-humans as enemies of the state, killing them on sight. Despite their natural strength and resilience, the beastkin were vastly outnumbered. Human cities swelled with teeming masses, multiplying with a speed that made it impossible for the beastkin to mount a successful resistance.

After losing a considerable portion of their population to the Empire's bloodthirsty crusade, the beastkin made a desperate decision: they would isolate themselves from the rest of the world. In a single, monumental march, the beastkin migrated to a hidden location, a place shrouded in mystery and protected by natural barriers. Their departure was so sudden, so well-coordinated, that the humans had no time to understand their intentions.

The migration was a frantic exodus, filled with terror and urgency. Families were torn apart, loved ones left behind in the chaos. Dagi's people were among those who could not keep pace with the main migration. Stranded and vulnerable, they became easy targets for the Empire's relentless hunters.

In their desperation, Dagi's people made a fateful choice. They would seek refuge on the demon continent. Though the Empire was filled with human supremacists, they had never dared to invade the demon continent after failing twice and sparking a holy war—a war the humans had almost lost, saved only by the intervention of the gods themselves.

The demon continent was a land of dark legends and malevolent power, a place where even the bravest of humans feared to tread. Surrounded by jagged mountain ranges and seething volcanoes, it was a natural fortress. Dagi's people hoped that the fearsome reputation of the demon continent would keep the Empire at bay.

For a time, their gamble paid off. The settlement remained hidden and safe for three generations. But peace is a fleeting thing in a world so steeped in hatred and bloodshed. A few months ago, the demons became more active, their movements unsettling and ominous. It was only a matter of time before Dagi's people were discovered.

The attack was sudden, a violent storm of claws and fangs. The battle that ensued was brutal and merciless. Though Dagi's people managed to repel the first wave of demons, they knew more would come, and they would be stronger. The settlement was divided in its response. The able-bodied warriors would stay behind to hold off the demons, buying time for the pregnant women and children to flee.

Their destination? The continent of Phalsia. Unlike the Empire, Phalsia was a place where beastkin were not persecuted, a land of relative peace and tolerance. It was their only hope.

The journey to Phalsia would not be easy. They would have to navigate around the Empire and through the Salt Lands—a desolate, treacherous expanse where the very earth seemed to leech the life from those who dared to cross it. But desperation gave them no other choice. The women and children made their escape, praying to whatever gods might listen for the safety of their loved ones left behind.

"But, where are the children?" Sally had asked, her voice trembling with the weight of the question.

The answer was as chilling as it was tragic. The beast man sent to protect the group, a grizzled warrior named Yotharn, had deemed the pregnant women a liability. In the face of insurmountable danger, he made a heart-wrenching decision: to save the children, he left the pregnant women behind.

Dagi's people pressed on, driven by sheer willpower and the faint glimmer of hope that somewhere, beyond the horizon, lay a land where they could find sanctuary.

With this information, Sally could only curse her luck, for her to be trapped between supremacists humans and blood thirsty demons. Sleep comes slowly, but eventually, her eyes close, and she drifts into a restless slumber, haunted by dreams of blood and fire.

The next morning, the camp is a hive of activity. The women move with purpose, gathering supplies and preparing for the journey ahead. Sally joins them, eager to help and learn more about this strange new world.

Dagi approaches her, a serious expression on her face. "If what you say is true, then my people who stayed behind have fallen and it's only a matter of time before they're on our heels, I'm not sure how you arrived here so fast but it should take them over a month to get here."

Dagi hands her a simple bow and a quiver of arrows. "Stay close to us and keep your eyes open. We should be out of the forest in a few days, but that doesn't make it any less dangerous. The forest is alive with creatures that would love to make a meal out of us."

Sally takes the bow, the weight of it familiar in her hands. She follows Dagi and a few others as they venture through the forest, the sunlight filtering through the dense canopy above.

As they move, Sally's senses are on high alert. Every rustle of leaves, every snap of a twig, sends her heart racing. Which is why she immediately heard the chime of an all too familiar notification.

*Ding*

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