[CHAPTER 17.1: THE BEAR]
Raneki had told the servants to lead Bella to her bed chamber. She was now a guest of the Ang tribe and was allowed to stay temporarily. Borius intended to bring her back to the Wolf Palace after the matter of food distribution with the Ang solved.
The chief leader of Ang doesn't seem friendly or talkative, Bella thought as she laid down on the huge bed, glancing around at the interior of the chamber that has a hint of similarities to the Moro's castle.
The leader of Zov, on the other hand... Strangely, those doe eyes of his... He looked so familiar. As though she had seen him before. Definitely not in this world. Was there a guy in her college that looked like Borius? Nah, I don't think so... And he also seemed very interested in her. He looked at her with eyes full of questions. He would definitely ask her tons of questions if he was given the chance.
They must have thought of her as a spy or something, Bella thought again. They wouldn't be that hospitable, would they? Who knows, they might plan to torture her later to get informations about other tribes?
Tok! Tok!
Bella jolted up when there was a loud knocking on the door. She got up and went to the door.
"Lady Bella, the lord has invited you to join him for mealtime." A young female bear servant lowered her head when Bella opened the door. She too, had a short boy cut hair. She looked like a tall teenage boy with a feminine voice and had small lumps on her chest. She had the same eyes as Raneki-- big black irises and could hardly spot the whites.
"Okay." Bella replied, short.
After the servant had left, Bella closed the door. She fumbled for her dagger in her boots and grasped the sword that Mihaje had given to her. It was nicely hung by her waist, hidden inside her furry coat. The black lace dress she was wearing was a bit too long so she tore one side up to her thigh so that her right leg showed, easier for her to pull the dagger out from her boots if there would be any danger later.
Although she didn't think they would really harm her, just in case, she had to prepare for anything. After all, she did come from one tribe to another.
Bella then walked out of her room and went outside. As she walked through the corridor, the bear guards who were standing by the walls, all glanced at her. Bella cleared her throat as she walked past each of them. It seemed like the security system here was a lot tighter than the Moro's main. They have guards standing every two meters of the wall. There were more soldiers too in the castle compared to the Snake Castle.
Bella came to realize one thing. The Ra tribe was indeed lacking in a lot of things. It was as though they had only started building their place these recent years. She recalled Satria had told her that the tiger clan used to be trampled over by the snake clan. It was Gaharu who rebuilt everything. He was respected by everyone in his tribe. It was no wonder everyone in the Ra tribe looked up to him like a hero. Although he has his evil side, he didn't kill as he please. As shameless as he was, Gaharu didn't want Bella to see that evil side of him either.
Different from Tayen, who was feared by his people for his killer venom, his evilness behind that treacherous polite smile, and his unbeatable weapon, Mihaje. Even the lives of his concubines meant nothing to him. Tayen was truly a snake.
As she was walking, analyzing and filtering the thoughts in her head, Bella froze in her steps when she bumped into something tall and hard. She rubbed her painful forehead as she looked up.
"You seemed lost in your own thoughts," Garuda leaned down slightly as he chuckled at her wrinkled expression, "you did not hear when I called you."
A fresh dewy scent exuded from him when he was so close to her face. His face was clean from the red pigment he used to paint across his eyes and his handsome face was majestic. Like a prince from the sky.
His yellow eagle irises were strikingly prominent, it felt like he could suck the soul out of someone just by staring.
His slender tall figure and his gigantic pair of martial eagle wings cast a huge shadow on her. His snowy fair skin looked even more translucent than Bella's.
"I was..." Bella gazed at his sexy thin lips that was curving up a smile.
"You looked different than the last time I saw you." Garuda murmured.
Indeed, she was. She was fully dressed, if that's what he was referring to. Bella brushed the thoughts off her mind.
"You looked... I mean, ehem," Garuda cleared his throat as his mind tried to find a suitable word, "I apologize. Are you going somewhere?"
Bella silently humphed. He was obviously hitting on her, but then decided not to.
"Raneki had invited me to join him for mealtime. Can you take me to him?"
"Sure. This way."
As she walked behind him, she couldn't help but admire his back. She hadn't seen him transform, but judging from the pattern of his huge dark brown wings, he must be a Martial eagle. So far, she noticed Garuda was the only winged beastman that had such gigantic wings. None of the wings of the raven soldiers she had seen earlier were as huge as his.
The image of Gaharu appeared in her mind again. She had not seen him transform either. What kind of tiger is he? Bella's lips curling up in a smile guessing that Gaharu must be a Siberian tiger, judging from his fierce and muscular appearance. Although such names as Siberian tigers or Martial eagles don't exist here, she guessed that there must be some differences in every clans. Just like the snake and the bear clans.
Garuda noticed that Bella was staring at his back, so he stopped for a while and waited so that he could walk side by side with her.
"May I ask, what is your age?"
Bella's eyes widened. It was the first time someone in this world has ever asked about her age. No one here has ever talked about age, as if age doesn't matter at all.
"I, um... I'm twenty one years old."
Garuda turned to look at her, chuckling,
"Then we are at the same age."
Whaaaat...? Bella's jaw dropped open in disbelief. He looked so damn matured, she thought he was probably five or six years older.
Bella glanced over at his side profile, she then sighed and turned her focus back to the front. The only problem being surrounded by them beastmen was their height. Gazing up all the time just to look at their faces would one day strain her neck for sure. Or worse, she could develop a Napoleon complex.
"Then, how old is Borius? He looks very young." Bella asked.
"Despite his young appearance, Lord Borius is actually many years older than us. In fact, he is older than most of us... I do not know his real age, but just the other day he told me he was over forty. While Lord Raneki is younger than you and me."
Bella's mouth dropped open again. Over forty?! With a face like that?!
"How old is Raneki?"
"Lord Raneki is two years younger than us, if I am not mistaken."
"Whaaaat...?!"
Now Bella began to question everyone's age in this world. She never thought that these matured looking beastmen were so young! And the middle aged one looked like he was only in his early twenties!
*****
In the dining hall.
Bella sat facing Raneki. She occasionally gazed up at him. This giant is nineteen years old? Geez. She still finds it hard to accept.
Like all the other beastmen she had seen, he too, was eating using his hands. Surprisingly, he did not eat like a bear. He was enjoying his cooked meat so gracefully, tearing bit by bit of the meat with his index finger and thumb before putting it into his mouth. Raneki looked a little less fierce than before, now that he had taken off his creepy headdress. He had short dark brown hair, his face was symmetrical and perfect, so handsome and neat. His slightly tanned skin and his thin short goatee made him appear more mature than his age.
He had a piece of clean cloth on his lap for him to wipe his hands. He ate a lot, an enormous size of meat, but slowly.
"Do you not like the food?" He asked when he realized Bella only ate a little.
"It's fine," Bella said after swallowing the chewed food in her mouth, "I just don't have a stomach like yours."
The meat was bland. Flavorless and dry. She felt like she was eating saltless chicken breasts. But a much more dryer version. Bella reached for the big goblet in front of her and chugged on the drink.
The wine was bland as well. It smelled like wine, and had wine fragrance when the liquid entered her mouth. But she couldn't taste anything. It was like drinking fragrant water.
The liquid burnt her throat and she almost coughed.
"When you said you are from a different world, did you mean there is another world like this but at a different place and time?" Raneki suddenly asked. He wiped his mouth clean with a cloth and put his huge wooden plate aside, before placing his elbows on the table.
"Yes." Bella murmured, still trying to finish the bland meat on her plate.
"Is the world you came from any different? Is there a war going on in your world as well?"
"Very different. Most countries have not been involved in a war for a century and I happened to live in one of the top three countries frequently ranked as the safest countries in Asia with low terrorism risk, low crime rates, and low poverty. We live by democracy and human rights."
"Count-trees...?"
"Um... It's a territory occupied by a nation."
Raneki let out a soft hum, as if processing her explanation.
"Your world is peaceful, yes? No war?" Raneki asked again.
"Well... I guess you can say that." She didn't actually think that way, though. Although there was no war in most countries, there was still violence and crime everywhere. And at some places, citizens were suppressed by the politically organized body of people under a single government.
Compared to her complicated world, this beastmen world was much simpler. They already have implemented a monarchy-like system, but without burdensome demand like taxes. They have no money system, or even money to begin with. Chief leaders provide protection and food for their tribe members, and the members provide labor in return.
They were basically animals living in the wild. What they lack was a stabilized operation system. Perhaps, having a supreme ruler might change that.
Bella remembered Gaharu had once stated how he wished there were no wars, that he wished for his people to live peacefully.
"Bella, I would like to show you something." Raneki said as he stood up after Bella had finally finished eating.
"Oh... Okay." Bella gobbled up her bland wine and hurriedly followed Raneki.
*****
He crawled on the floor, his breath muffled in his mask. The kick that had landed on his stomach didn't really hurt, but he knew if he stood up immediately, Tayen would punish him even worse.
He didn't budge when he was kicked several times on his rib. He had experienced pain even more excruciating before, Tayen's weak kicks were nothing compared to the ones he had gone through growing up.
Several lizard soldiers could only stand at the sides fearfully as they watched their chief leader venting his anger on the general.
"Have mercy, my lord..." He said weakly.
"Mercy...? You know I could kill you, but I chose not to. I am showing mercy, brother of mine." Tayen stomped on Mihaje's back a few more times before he stopped to catch his breath. He grasped his shoulder, the bite wound from the manok days ago had reopened.
"My lord..." Mihaje worriedly got up when he realized the blood oozed out from Tayen's wound. Tayen was wearing an opened front shirt that revealed his muscular chest so Mihaje could see the cloth bandage that was turning red.
Tayen was extremely upset after learning the news about Bella being abducted by the Zov soldiers. What angered him more was Mihaje insisted on not telling him who had brought Bella out of the castle. He knew Mihaje was protecting his subordinates. Mihaje would rather take the blame and be punished than letting his own subordinates die.
"Do you not understand...? We have a temporary truce with Gaharu as long as we keep Bella safe. What do you think will happen if that tiger finds out about this?" Tayen struck his forearm against the side of Mihaje's head, causing Mihaje to tilt his head to one side.
"I... I am incompetent, I am at fault, my lord." Mihaje lowered his head.
Tayen hissed angrily. He wanted to hit Mihaje again but he knew he could not. He was straining himself just now and had caused increased pressure to his wound, causing it to split.
"Lord Tayen," Mihaje spoke with his head still lowered, "let me make amends with my mistake. I shall go to the Ra tribe personally to inform this to the tiger."
"Do not even think of showing yourself in front of him, Gaharu detest the Blood Snake clan. He had killed every Blood Snake he saw."
Tayen weakly leaned his back against the wall, letting one of the lizard soldiers examine his wound. Mihaje frowned, but did not understand what Tayen was trying to tell him. Tayen drew in a long breath as he chuckled,
"Father was the one who slain his family and eradicated his whole clan of Sun Tigers."
*****