Beastmen Love-Chapter 33: Nature

Astri was sitting in front of Cyprian to listen, consequently her spouses were sit around her too.

"What makes us different from normal animals?" Cyprian asks.

"We are smart. We can shift." Lee answers as it was the most obvious answer.

"Right. But there’s something else that makes us different from them."

"Our souls." Astri remembers what Claud said when she asked them if she would be killing a person if she killed an animal.

"Exactly. Our souls are what makes us different and that makes us shift. Our souls have energy. We can sense when someone is coming, if someone is sad or angry. We can sense through their energies. Our energy is what makes our souls strong and when we get stronger we have what we call marks. Marks are literally marks but on our souls, every mark is a breakthrough and an improvement of your soul." Cyprian explains.

Astri related that to skill achievements from video games.

"Not only us beasts have energy. There’s something much more stronger than any beast and its energy is around us all the time." Cyprian tells.

"What is it?" Wayde asks.

"The wind, the earth, fire, sea, the water."

"Nature." Astri says and Cyprian nods.

"Are you saying everything around us are like beasts?" Lee asks.

"No. And yes. We came from Nature. We were normal animals once, then we evolved to what we are today with Nature’s help. It guided us to grow smarter, have sharp senses. Nature is a presence that is always around and that will always be stronger than any of us. But it had let us live according to our own liking so most of us grew distant from it and now only very few can even feel it’s presence. Even less who can connect to it." Cyprian tells.

"And Astri can?" Zin asks. Cyprian nods. "Connect for what?"

"This answer she will find out on her own. Only Nature can tell her that."

"Can you hear or talk to Nature?" Wayde asks Astri.

"Not exactly.. When I was a child I would always talk to plants and animals, but everyone would always say I’m crazy so I stopped talking. Now I can feel reactions. Before the monsters attacked me and Dieg, we felt like a strong gust and right after that Dieg could see we were surrounded. Just now while I was talking to myself, the wind brought me to a tree and a dying flower. I touched the flower and it kind of came back to life." She says.

"Everything you plant becomes pretty and sprouts fast. Now I can see it’s not a coincidence." Zin speaks.

"When she shifts, will she need to leave since she’s a rare beast?" Wayde asks Cyprian.

"No. But she will need protection. Support. When she shifts she will unlock more of her abilities. That’s what I can say." Cyprian answers.

"We need to build our castle faster and it will need stronger and taller walls." Lee speaks.

"It’s a good idea. Having a castle. The king might come to think that you want to overthrow him, but he won’t have success." Cyprian says.

"Let him come. I trained many of his soldiers, I know their weaknesses."

"I couldn’t care less about that lion, but if he threatens Astri I’ll kill him." Wayde speaks.

"Only the Higher Priest has the really powerful beasts. They have above ten marks. And the Higher Priest doesn’t meddle on anything he doesn’t think it’s necessary. Wait, will the Higher Priest come after Astri?" Lee says.

"Probably." Cyprian answers.

Astri stays quiet.

"Oh f*ck no. We can’t let anyone know about her beast form EVER! We don’t stand a chance against his beasts and himself." Lee speaks.

Her mates agree in unison.

"I don’t think you need to worry about him. Even if he does come after her, it won’t be to hurt her or take her from you." Cyprian says.

"How do you know that?" Wayde asks.

"I just do. The Higher Priest is the one that is most similar to her, he would only want to protect her."

"She’s like him?? She has powers?" Lee asks.

"Not like him yet. She already noticed she has some kind of powers when she healed the flower." Cyprian says, he passes his hand on his head knowing if this talk continues it will make him talk too much. "I just know he won’t hunt her."

"What do you think, Astri?" Wayde asks Astri, who is quiet all the time.

She’s afraid of exposing Claud, so she only nods.

"Among all of us, who knows more about my condition is Cyprian so I think we should trust his judgment." She speaks.

She makes sense with her words, but Lee hates to know she trusts Cyprian. He doesn’t want to agree with Cyprian just because he’s jealous. Lee takes a deep breath to try to think better and don’t let anger overpower him.

"But I agree with you about strengthening our security. I always trusted you and always will." She says, making them smile.

She knows they’re feeling powerless and also pressed with Cyprian’s presence. Males hate to feel weaker in front of their mates, she already noticed that.

"We should go back home. Now we know how to make salt. I can come with my soldiers and teach them how to do it." Lee says.

"You know how to make salt?" Cyprian asks, looking at the bucket of salt and the water boiling. "Impressive. Mermen taught you? I thought that only they knew how to make salt."

"Stop talking, Lee." Wayde says.

Cyprian looks at Astri and she’s looking somewhere else pretending she’s not there.

"You taught them." Cyprian says, impressed.

"No.. Pf. No!" She answers.

"She didn’t teach anything." Lee speaks.

"Why was she at this rock bucket on the fire then?" Cyprian asks.

"Cooking. She was cooking."

"What is cooking? Is the way to make salt?"

"No. It’s a way to make food."

"So you cook salt?" Cyprian asks her.

"No.." She says looking somewhere else.

"You’re a terrible liar." Cyprian chuckles.

"I am." She admits. Her mates stared at her. "But I’m not lying! Really." She says waving her hands.

"You don’t have to lie anymore. I already noticed you’re smart, but your character is not of a liar."

She shrugs her shoulders to her mates.

"You were the one who said we were making salt." Zin said to Lee.

Lee clicks his tongue angry.

"I won’t tell anyone. If I do I’ll put her in danger and that is not my intention." Cyprian says.

"And what is your intention?" Wayde asks.

"Protect her. Help her with what I can. She’s my benefactor otherwise."

"No! You get away! We don’t want any more males." Lee says, angry again.

"You will need more males to protect her."

"Not near her!"

"Wait, Lee. I hate the idea too, but did you try counting how many marks he has? He will be a strong protector." Wayde speaks.

...They count 14 marks!

"And he can also help Astri." Zin says.

Lee’s burning in anger. Astri was on his side so she held his hand, he looked at her and sees her worried face.

"What is it?" She asks.

She knows Lee is a strong guy outside, but inside he’s full of insecurities too.

Deep inside, he fears losing her love and in his mind Cyprian being stronger she will give him more love and attention, and will rely more on him.

"Nothing.. I’m sorry for worrying you." Lee says, holding her hand too, and smiling more relaxed.

She kisses his cheek, and smiles tenderly at him.

He forgets that she’s not like others. If she were like others, she would have side kicked Wayde, but she never did and always treated him sweetly.

"So you’re coming with us?" Astri asks Cyprian. He nods.

"If you allow me."

"I never allow or force anyone to help me. It’s your choice."

"It’s my choice to follow you."

"Then, thank you."

"Let’s prepare to leave." Wayde speaks, standing up.

He goes to Astri and picks her up.

She noticed he’s also looking for comfort in her, but Wayde is more serious and poker-faced than Lee.

Wayde might be the one with less marks there, but he’s the smartest and also the one Astri trusts the most about what to do.

Wayde doesn’t do anything that he really believes is necessary and that will bring a real difference.

However, she knows he’s also a man and has weak sides in his mind. She gives him a smile and kisses his cheek too.

He smiles, calmer and more focused. He kisses her head and then puts her on Zin’s tail. Zin coiled around her tenderly and brought her closer.

Cyprian can see the eagle and the tiger trust the snake with their own lives for letting Zin take care of her while they’re busy.

But he’s sure that the reason is Astri, because she also treats Zin with the same affection.

"She really is a different female.."

After packing everything up, they decided to leave right away. Astri was riding Wayde, but she was actually worried with Cyprian because he was so weak yesterday.

"Do you want some more meat or water, Cyprian? You weren’t well yesterday.." She asks Cyprian.

"No. I’m fine. Dragons have strong endurance. What I ate today will let me live for some days." He says.

"I’m not asking if you’re going to die. I’m asking if you want more. That doesn’t mean you feel fine after what you ate." She says and then she throws a big smoked meat at him, that was in a pouch inside of her backpack, he catches it and smiles.

"Thank you."

While they walk they don’t talk much because they don’t want to call attention, but they don’t fear anything because that group has strength enough to wipe out a city.

They just want to avoid Astri being recognized by the monsters that might see her.