Ari (Child of the Beastman Goddess)

The wind was so cold on top of the tree. Luckily, I was wearing the cloak that my father gave to me and the feathers on my wings are already thick enough to endure the cold wind. I also got my pants slightly torn underneath when my tail suddenly appeared.

The back of my clothes and cloak were also torn due to my wings. I suddenly realized the reason why a beastman normally wears skirts only.

I decided to plan again the design of my clothes when I got back home as I landed on the branch of the tallest tree, then I got mesmerized upon realizing the color of the forest.

“How peaceful and nostalgic.”, I said as I was laying down on the branch while watching as the wind blew at some of the leaves causing it to slowly fall off from the trees painting the ground orange.

An artistic scenery that if only paints and canvas were available, I would have already painted it even if I was not good at painting.

I wanted to take a nap, but I suddenly heard a loud scream from a distance and saw my sister being chased by a huge boar covered in blood.

“Help me! Father! Mother! Elders! Help me! Ahhh! Help!” She screamed as she ran as fast as she could without looking back.

She was so terrified but she kept on running for her life while crying and screaming for help.

I felt a chill run down my spine as I saw a few bodies, including three of my precious brothers lying on the ground lifeless from the direction she seemed to come from.

I instantly flew unconsciously to the boar until I reached a good distance to shoot the arrows that I took out from my quiver perfunctorily. I shot its body a few times, but it didn’t budge so I aimed a shot to each of its ankles until it lost its footing and allowed my sister to escape further.

Luckily, she ran faster than I thought she could though she dropped her knife along the way.

I flew down to the boar that was lying down on the ground and furiously stabbed and slit its neck by force using the sharp knife left by my elder sister.

I wanted to go hurriedly to the place where I saw my brothers Bjorn, Arthur and Sarff; hoping that they could still be saved despite their horrifying condition.

However, as soon as I turned around, a huge and fierce looking bluish-grey wolf suddenly appeared in front of my eyes.

I was so shocked and terrified that I suddenly lost my footing and fell down on the ground as I stepped back a few times. I shielded my face using my tiny little arms as I subconsciously shut my eyes leaving the rest to faith.

I fainted as soon as I shut my eyes due to exhaustion and shock.

When I came back to my senses, I was already back in my room. My hands were already bound up with herbal medicines and my clothes were already changed to new ones.

There were minor bruises and cuts all over my body, especially on my wings. I remembered hitting a few thin branches while hurriedly flying near the boar and Lindie. I might have gotten these wounds from there.

I suddenly heard loud cries from outside the room near the patient’s room. A few tribe members, including my mom, were screaming in disbelief. I can feel their resentments as if it was thrown on me drowning me in deep sorrow.

I suddenly remembered my brothers. My tears kept falling from my eyes upon remembering the horrible look of the bodies of my precious brothers and the other elders who led them to the forest.

My body was trembling uncontrollably and I felt like throwing up. My heart aches as I remember their laughter and giggles as they reach my hand to invite me to play just a few days ago.

I cried silently while holding on to my chest looking at the moon shining through my window.

A few minutes later, the faint smell of the breeze on the grassy meadow during the spring after it rained entered the room from the small gap opening of the door calming me. As I looked back at the door, I knew it was my father approaching.

He was shocked as he saw my messy and trembling appearance as soon as he opened the door to check on me.

There was a faint smell of mixed blood on his body though he had already cleaned it up before seeing me. His hair was still wet.

He hugged me tightly caressing the feathers of my wings while whispering “All praise to the beastman goddess for bringing you back alive. Great job my dearest daughter, Ari. You did well. Thank you for coming back to me alive.”

His voice was trembling and full of mixed emotions. So I hugged him back tightly and finally let out a loud cry.

As soon as I calmed down, he brought in my meal and fed me.

He didn’t ask what happened, but he didn’t also say how the current situation was.

I can still remember the fierce look of the huge gray wolf I saw before I lost consciousness.

“Father, who brought me back from the forest? Have you seen a huge gray wolf in the area where I was found? How was Lindie and my brothers?” I curiously asked my father as soon as I finished up eating my dinner.

“The tribesmen found you unconscious beside the body of the dead huge boar in the place where Lindie came from. Your sister only suffered from some minor bruises and a sprained right hand. There was no report of any sightings of a wolf around the area, but you were bathing in the pool of blood so the tribesmen who found you were terrified. Luckily it was the boar’s blood and you only suffered some minor bruises all over your body including your wings. The elder healer said you can recover in a week. “, he answered cautiously while his facial expression darkened.

He didn’t answer the rest of my questions, but I understood his silence so I didn’t ask any further.

He gave me some medicine and told me to sleep and rest.All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.