Beauty's Beasts
Chapter 140: Clumsy strays

Chapter 140: Clumsy strays

After burrying all those snakes away, the group sat down to draft the plans for their journey. For the past few days, they hadn’t encountered any dangerous animals because the area was closest to the city of beasts.

However, the further they went the more the dangers that accumulated. Beasts that travelled in groups, poisonous animals, crazed ones, not to forget that it was already the dry season. Though they had no idea how bad it’d be, they still needed to be on the out look.

As it was still day, they set up camp.

We need to draw a map. This is an important thing when traversing lands we aren’t familiar with." Sydney said seriously and all surrounded her to see what she was going to do.

She used the ink like material to first draw out the four points on a compass at the edge of the skin hide. " I’ll teach you how it’s done." She said to them after seeing their eager eyes.

She stood up and her right arm stretched to the east while the left to the west according to their current position.

They hadn’t gone so far so she noted the city of beasts was in her south East. She ran back and noted the city of beasts in that direction.

Even Ash and Ray were amused at what she was doing. Working with Caden who would fly into the sky and scout the nearby geographic structure, the south eastern part of the map was drawn fully with its various features amd it took relatively two days to have a detailed map with their nearest surrounding areas.

As we continue to whichever direction we will take, we can continue to add the specifics onto the map. That way, we can distribute it when we return to the city to aide others who wish to go around the continent. " Sydney looked at the piece in satisfaction.

Throughout the days, she had taught them how to read the directions and how to study a map.

They chose to continue forward as this was the place with the last traces of Titan. As of the moment, they were still on the dense forest with trees that were thousands of years old. She could tell since these trees almost touched the sky and their trunks were so wide that it’d take around forty people to surround it.

Beastmen also preferred to use stones to build their homes that’s why the flora was spared from being tampered with. It was a beautiful sight.

When she returned with the others to city of beasts in the past, she didn’t get to really appreciate it as she was both in heat and there was an additional of Titan who was too dazzling not to look at.

But now, all she had to focus on was to try to find Titan through her mate mark and add detail to her map. This gave her a chance to admire this place more. She wondered if her brother had gotten a chance to see all this when he came.

Sitting on Ash’s back, they continued forward. Caden was keeping a close look from the skies incase they ran into any danger. And for the whole week, the journey had been a smooth sailing but that also marked them getting out of the safe zone entering into the dangerous zone.

She had classified them as such since the beastmen dominated the other zone hence the normal beasts didn’t dare to come to their side and the dangerous zone since beastmen rarely went to that side too.

She had also learnt that the normal beasts held grudges against beastmen and they’d fight to death everytime they faced eachother.

Generally, they were at the periphery of the forest. It’d take a day to exit the forest.

They set up camp.

Sydney sat on a piece of fallen tree trunk and took out her hide booklet that Ken had made for her. Inside it were a number of drawing of various animal and herbs she had seen.

Ray walked over to her side and handed her some water. "The weather is getting hotter. Are you okay with us going further?" He asked as he sat himself down. Not too close to her.

The forest canopy was what had been protecting them but the other side, the grass had begun loosing it’s luster and was getting a brownish shade at the tips.

Sydney looked at Ray and smiled. "Thanks." She took the water from him. " I should be fine. I have you guys." She shrugged and drank the water sighing at the comfort it brought her. Her throat was patched.

"Okay. Tell us when you can’t do it anymore, okay?" He asked worriedly and she nodded her head. " I’ll definitely tell you when it’s too hard to bare." She assured him like a well behaved girl.

Over the days, her anger towards Ray had disappeared and she held a favourable impression of him. "Oh right...I’ve been meaning to ask something from you..I don’t know if it’s alright." She said looking at him.

What?" Ray asked and gave his full attention to her.

"What beast are you?" She blutered. I’m sorry you don’t have to tell me if you are uncomfortable. It’s just that I haven’t seen you shift since we begun this journey and you kept walking which must be tiresome so...I’ve been...I mean, traveling in your beast form should be much more convenient." She ranked on.

"I dont have one." He said and smiled at her.

"Huh?" She was perturbed. He doesn’t have one!? What did that mean!? Was he a human thorough and thorough!?

Her changing facials expressions were extremely cute and he couldn’t help pinching her soft and plump cheeks. "Silly!" He laughed.

I’m from the lion clan. The black lions to be specific. It’s a kind of mutation since lions are not meant to be black. Just like those two brats back at home." He explained.

Sydney nodded in understanding and remained silent to hear more on what he wanted to say.

"I used to have a beast form but it’s gone now." He said and looked back at her with a sad smile.

"Where did it go?!" Sydney found herself asking, not ignoring the sad look in his ocean blue eyes.

"I gave it away to save someone." He told her and shrugged. He didn’t regret his choice. It was all worth it since she was here before him, alive and kicking.

I’m sorry." Sydney didn’t know how to proceed with this topic. Lions were prideful beasts of the forest by nature, they were considered the kings of the jungle and stood at the top of the food chain.

Same went for beastmen, what was he without his beast?! If he were not a ninth rank beastman, he wouldn’t have survived till today. Things like hunting for food, defending himself against an enemy and finding a mate became hard! No wonder she found him when he was injured back then! If she wasn’t to rescue him, he probably would have been hurt while he was injured.

"The person you wanted to save...did they survive?" She asked out of concern. If he lost his beast for someone and they didn’t survive, how hurtful would that be!?

"Yes." Ray nodded. "They survived which was worth the efforts."

"Why didn’t you go and be with them!?" She probed but held herself back. "I’m sorry. I just felt that they should at least acknowledge your sacrifice and do something in return for you."

"I am with her, right now.’ Ray wanted to say that but he merely smiled. "I already received their gratitude and I’m content right now." He replied.

Ash had been on the sidelines and he had heard everything they talked about. If he hadn’t died earlier, he wouldn’t have thought twice and would be willing to sacrifice his beast too.

Shawn felt the same. However, he wasn’t as lucky to give away his beast since he was weak and doing such wouldn’t guarantee him a chance to life ever again. That’s why his sight, his double colored eyes which were his biggest asset were sacrificed.

The night drew in pretty fast and a fire was lit just next to Sydney’s tent. Dinner was already done and all she needed was to rest well.

The fire kept burning throughout the night since they weren’t short of wood.

Ash lay outside her tent in his beast form while Ray leaned against the tree trunk and lazily close his eyes to nap.

Caden was parched up on a tree branch and his head was hiding in his left wing while Ken and Shawn were on the night patrol but we’re also lazily napping in the east and west of her tent.

A few hundreds of metres away, a group of shinning eyes watched the camp with viciousness and murderous intent. They had been keen on not being noticed.

Slowly, the leader of the pack signalled for them to take different positions. No word was said but their movements were in sync, showing a unified font.

"Boss, this group is pretty small and they also have a very pretty female. Boss, after you have your share of the female, let us also enjoy her alright!?" The male beast who saod so even had drool falling from the corners of his lips.

Ken who lay napping couldn’t help smirking when he caught on the words said by the latter. Heh! Stupid!! So daring and brazen!

They hadn’t encountered any trouble during their journey except for the group of strays that kept following them. Initially, they wanted to deal with the strays but since they hadn’t done a thing, they also chose to ignore them. However it seemed liked they had run out of patience and chosen to act tonight.

The group was really stupid to think they hadn’t been noticed! They had greatly underestimated them!

Dont be delusional! Just because they are in a small group doesn’t mean they are weak! Of they dared to walk out with their female in such dire time, that means they are something. We are already lucky to have not been noticed." The boss snarled in a whisper reprimandingly.

Yes, boss, I understand." The beastman shit his mouth not daring to say one more word.

The group continued to advance forward stealthily.

However, not all were as wise and smart, some were extremely lousy and clumsy!

One stray coughed. "Cough cough cough! It must have been a fly!" He commented and his comrades almost died. The poor guy had criss crossed eyes.

Shhhhhh!!!!!" His neighbour almost cried. This guy’s was going to get them killed! He’d have stayed back at the colony if he was going to make the boss’s plan fail.

Of course the boss heard the scuffle and his face blackened.

If not for entertaining their silly plan, Ken would have rolled over in laughter unbashfully. However, he only raised his head up like he was inspecting the area and his furry ears twitched here and there before he lay back to nap.