"Speak, what is it you know?" Reta asked, standing upright and struggling to maintain her composure.
But the Snake could see right through her stoic façade, pulling away and rolling around on the wide tree branch before tilting her head sideways to catch a glance at her visitors' expressions. She smacked her lips and ran her hands slowly down her bare breasts, dragging her green fingers over her smooth scaly figure and shivering in response. Closing her eyes, she hummed a little tune in her head and wriggled against the bark of the tree branch, scooting and sliding her body forward until it reached the end where a mess of vines and prickly leaves dangled above the muddy lake. She hissed and reached back, feeling the vines slip between her fingers as she slowly leaned her torso further back until she found some resistance. The vines under her back and arms sustained her weight, where she rested her upper body on like some sort of hammock.
She pursed her mouth in a self-satisfied smirk, her gaze settled on the intense look of the woman demanding her for answers. The thought that she could very well keep this one in agony did not slip by unnoticed by her, she wondered just how far she could tease this one and leave her anxiously waiting for more.
"Hssss, why would you like to know when they would have nothing good to sssay about you?" Her eyes closed halfway while Reta shuffled uncomfortably from where she stood, ignoring the feeling she had that the others were looking at her now.
"Oh yesss, I know of your kind. How you rarely flee from your groups unless you move as one. How you hunt for sport, like a game you teach to your children. Mossst importantly, I know that if you are here and you did not know that your friend was near, then that impliesss that you are not here by choice." She rolled her head back, flaunting her chest and giggling to herself. "Sounds like sssomone is not welcome to her people anymore... hss, hss, hsss~hsssss!"
Felix and KuliKuli looked back to their friend, noticing her hands ball into clenched fists. It was then that they realized that the snake's words were true, or resembled something near the truth to her story. Although they wished to comfort her, they could tell by the way Reta was grinding her teeth together that it would be better to keep a safe distance from her. Janette spotted this as well, taking a chance to caution her from any impulsive actions.
"Reta, she's up in a tree behind a glass wall, and there is a large pond with something swimming inside it." She reminded her, fearing that Reta's first course to retaliate would be to penetrate the glass in some way or manner. "We can just walk away. She's a snake, she could be lying."
"I do have feelings, you know." The snake replied, her eyes widened with feigned shock. "But I sssuppose if that is all you sssee me asss, it cannot be helped."
KuliKuli's eyes danced around, scanning the trees and vines above to try and find the rest of the snake's body. It felt like everywhere she looked, she would find another stripped tail slithering around in subtle moves. The implication of how large this woman is in length frightened her, as she began to wonder if this anaconda could swallow all of them whole and still have room for dessert.
"Where is she?"
"Hmm?" The snake leaned closer in disbelief, looking at her curiously as Reta raised her head to look her in the eyes an repeat herself.
"Where is she?"
"Reta?" Felix was stopped when she raised her hand out to silence him, her eyes focused and seething.
The snake titled her head, questioning her motive. "What, do you plan to question her in return? Or perhapsss, something a bit more daring, maybe a rescue?"
"Perhaps." She replied back. "Now speak!"
"Reta!" Janette cried out. Reta shot her a fierce look, startling her as she covered her own mouth. Without blinking, Reta calmly turned her head back to the snake to find an answer.
"Hsss, you're not as fun as I had hoped." She answered back with a sour look, her face twisted with disgust before rolling her eyes with a heavy sigh. "Haaa, there goes my amusement for tonight. You and your friend are boring to talk to, nothing but an unwavering loyalty to each other paired with short answers. Still, perhaps sending you off to her recue might prove to be some entertainment."
At last, the snake groaned and slipped from her resting place, her upper body descending in a lazily manner as if she had lost her strength and succumbed to gravity. She slid down from her little makeshift hammock before dangling her upper body upside down, swinging like a heavy pendulum until she stopped when her eyes settled on Reta once more.
"You will find your friend in the next biome, but you mussst proceed with caution. In my little cage, I can hide in plain sight and use the jungle to my advantage, able to blend in even as I move. So be warned, in the circus it is not what you can see but rather what you cannot that is what you should truly fear."
That was enough for Reta to leave, with Felix running behind her. "Hey, what are you doing?"
"I'm going to get answers." She replied with a cold gaze as she marched out of the biome.
Janette was quick to follow them, restraining herself when the snake began to hiss once more before speaking up.
"Ooh, someone wantsss to play a little longer?" She cooed, twisting her head upright, her grin piercing through from ear to ear while her yellow eyes were fixated on the Nekomata.
KuliKuli didn't move from her place, staring back at the monster girl with wide eyes and parted lips. She composed herself and acknowledged Jannette's presence with a glance before looking up at the snake again.
"Kuli!" She called out, grabbing her attention before she followed behind her.
Reta had pushed through the crowd that blocked her path, shoving them aside with ease. It was easier to walk around the circus compared to earlier, she wondered if this had to do with the how late into the night it was by that point in time. Not as many people were breezing through the hallways, and it looked like some workers were in the middle of packing up a few tents. Now that she began to acknowledge her surroundings, it looked like the circus had an hour or two as it was beginning to close. Her focus remained on one objective in mind, she hurried running around the circus hallway until she had reached her destination. It was another biome, the third one they would get to see, and one that made her feel the most uneasy of.
She didn't give herself a moment to think, believing that it would set her back and postpone what she felt was inevitable. Better to strike now while you have the advantage, that was what she was trained to do, what she believed in. It was something that was lacking severely in the people around her. Janette speaks too much, always reading her thoughts and actions with the way she would scan her whenever she went silent, which was too often for Reta's taste. KuliKuli would bother her often with her optimism and smiles, always searching for an excuse to hug or cuddle or talk. She would play too much, like a spoiled child who can't get enough out of hearing themselves make noise, and it irked her knowing that KuliKuli had bested her in their first encounter by sheer fortune, or misfortune in Reta's place.
Now Felix, he was someone who bothered her the most, someone she could not get out of her head for some time. He was an easy prey at first, someone she found alone and defenseless before she made her move. That was her error in judgement, thinking back now, she acted too quickly without assessing the situation. If she had known about the cat girl beforehand, there would have been no question about who would emerge victorious in that fight.
Reta flinched, rubbing her temple as her thoughts continued to ramble around in her head.
Perhaps it was foolish for her to be so arrogant and believe she would have claimed the victory otherwise. In truth, she was skilled in combat but her cursed state altered her physical appearance and made it difficult for her to fight. She reached into her dress and brushed her fingers across the bite mark, feeling the ridges where the teeth sunk deep and pierced her skin. That memory had repeated itself every time she closed her eyes, and it was the reason behind her many sleepless nights for the weeks after. It was how she was able to travel far away, thanks to her teachings by her father and by her tribe, she had emerged as a survivor. That was why she had lived this long without her people, all alone with no one else to rely on but her knowledge and skill.
That all started to change that day when she found a lonely cabin perched atop a green hill where she first laid eyes on her prey.
But now, things were beginning to change. She was offered to take shelter among them when his cat girl requested that she be allowed the choice to leave or to stay. Admittedly, Reta accepted knowing that the storm would not pass through anytime soon, so what better choice than to take advantage of a naïve pairing who invite their assailant to live with them. She was the last one to sleep then, she was recalling what happened that night as she waited patiently until she could hear the two doze off with gentle little sighs, drifted deep in their slumber. It was the final night of the third full moon, she had just an hour or less to make use of her strength and claws, just one swipe across their necks would rid them of being a danger to her and give her the cabin to herself. Or better yet, strike her down and keep him to herself, as a bold claim of stealing the cat girl's territory while securing her own survival.
Only... that stupid boy! She squirmed and squeezed her eyes shut, her hands gripping the curtain tight as those memories came flooding back. That stupid, stupid, baka! When he approached her without any sign of fear, with those eyes of his staring into her as if she were some kind of helpless, lost maiden who needed protection. Ohhh, it drove her mad, it agitated her and filled her with uncertain rage whenever she would think about that moment. Not because he was ridiculing her, but because she could tell he was being sincere. Sincere! He was warned not to approach her, yet he ignored those warnings and set her free, drawing close enough for her to bite him and seal his fate.
He said at that moment that he didn't see her as a threat.
In a way, he challenged her as a warrior of her tribe, and when she found herself standing before their bedroom door, she struggled with deciding what he had meant when he said those words.
And now it pained her more, she realized that as she swallowed her guilt and pushed through the curtains into the biome. It pained her to know how how this person will see through her once more. She wanted to return a stronger woman, but this feeling inside... it was a weakness she developed and one she had grown to detest over the past few days. Hopefully, it was something she could push aside or use to her advantage, that was her final thought of uncertainty as she entered the room.
The biome was similarly designed as the others, with a dark setting and a magical ball of light shining down toward the glassy wall where the display was set. No one else was around, leaving this place abandoned. She felt a sense of relief knowing she will have a moment of privacy before the others caught up. Felix was behind her but he turned around, perhaps to help his true mate catch up, she didn't care. It benefited her if anything, hopefully they will stagnant and arrive after she was done. When she approached the biome, it was a different kind of natural setting to an unnerving degree. She was speechless, and for the first time since the night she was banished, she felt a wave of fear wash upon her.
This place was looking back at her home.
Tall pink glass growing high enough to reach her waist. Towering in the middle was a beautiful wisteria tree, its stems are slender and brown, its vines sprouting violet leaves cascading like icicles swaying gently as if their were a breeze on the other side. Reta nearly stumbled back as she took in this sight, recognizing where she had seen this tree before. She stepped in as close as she could before cupping around her eyes and pressing her face into the glass, her eyes scanning around the lower bark in search of something familiar. She held her breath and retreated when she found the initials at the bark, right where she had seen them before in person.
All of these biomes, what kind of magic could do this?
She shook her head and sighed when from the corner of her eye, she noticed several figures push past the curtain and approaching her. Felix walked up beside her, looking around in awe for a moment before reaching to her.
"Did you-"
"Not yet." She responded, licking her lips and breathing in. KuliKuli was startled when Reta began to whistle in a high tone, it was sudden and it ended quickly but it there was a strange tune to it. It echoed around the room and the others kept their eyes looking forward while Reta hung her head in submission. She took a deep breathe, knowing from the way her allies stepped back and gasped that it was time for her to face her tribe once more.
She raised her head and was met with a familiar face of a young woman around her age, her long violet hair evidently helped her blend in with her surroundings as she appeared from the tall grass. Her eyes were fierce as they roamed between one face and another, as if someone had trespassed into her home. She had very little in clothing to hide her light skinned body, wearing a sarashi around her breasts and baggy white pants with pink petals decorating the right leg, similar in design with Reta's dress.
When Reta raised her head, the woman's eyes flashed before she was met with a scowl. "Mizuki!"
Reta sighed and offered a faint smile. "I would have never guessed to see you captured, Umeko."
"Speak, what is it you know?" Reta asked, standing upright and struggling to maintain her composure.
But the Snake could see right through her stoic façade, pulling away and rolling around on the wide tree branch before tilting her head sideways to catch a glance at her visitors' expressions. She smacked her lips and ran her hands slowly down her bare breasts, dragging her green fingers over her smooth scaly figure and shivering in response. Closing her eyes, she hummed a little tune in her head and wriggled against the bark of the tree branch, scooting and sliding her body forward until it reached the end where a mess of vines and prickly leaves dangled above the muddy lake. She hissed and reached back, feeling the vines slip between her fingers as she slowly leaned her torso further back until she found some resistance. The vines under her back and arms sustained her weight, where she rested her upper body on like some sort of hammock.
She pursed her mouth in a self-satisfied smirk, her gaze settled on the intense look of the woman demanding her for answers. The thought that she could very well keep this one in agony did not slip by unnoticed by her, she wondered just how far she could tease this one and leave her anxiously waiting for more.
"Hssss, why would you like to know when they would have nothing good to sssay about you?" Her eyes closed halfway while Reta shuffled uncomfortably from where she stood, ignoring the feeling she had that the others were looking at her now.
"Oh yesss, I know of your kind. How you rarely flee from your groups unless you move as one. How you hunt for sport, like a game you teach to your children. Mossst importantly, I know that if you are here and you did not know that your friend was near, then that impliesss that you are not here by choice." She rolled her head back, flaunting her chest and giggling to herself. "Sounds like sssomone is not welcome to her people anymore... hss, hss, hsss~hsssss!"
Felix and KuliKuli looked back to their friend, noticing her hands ball into clenched fists. It was then that they realized that the snake's words were true, or resembled something near the truth to her story. Although they wished to comfort her, they could tell by the way Reta was grinding her teeth together that it would be better to keep a safe distance from her. Janette spotted this as well, taking a chance to caution her from any impulsive actions.
"Reta, she's up in a tree behind a glass wall, and there is a large pond with something swimming inside it." She reminded her, fearing that Reta's first course to retaliate would be to penetrate the glass in some way or manner. "We can just walk away. She's a snake, she could be lying."
"I do have feelings, you know." The snake replied, her eyes widened with feigned shock. "But I sssuppose if that is all you sssee me asss, it cannot be helped."
KuliKuli's eyes danced around, scanning the trees and vines above to try and find the rest of the snake's body. It felt like everywhere she looked, she would find another stripped tail slithering around in subtle moves. The implication of how large this woman is in length frightened her, as she began to wonder if this anaconda could swallow all of them whole and still have room for dessert.
"Where is she?"
"Hmm?" The snake leaned closer in disbelief, looking at her curiously as Reta raised her head to look her in the eyes an repeat herself.
"Where is she?"
"Reta?" Felix was stopped when she raised her hand out to silence him, her eyes focused and seething.
The snake titled her head, questioning her motive. "What, do you plan to question her in return? Or perhapsss, something a bit more daring, maybe a rescue?"
"Perhaps." She replied back. "Now speak!"
"Reta!" Janette cried out. Reta shot her a fierce look, startling her as she covered her own mouth. Without blinking, Reta calmly turned her head back to the snake to find an answer.
"Hsss, you're not as fun as I had hoped." She answered back with a sour look, her face twisted with disgust before rolling her eyes with a heavy sigh. "Haaa, there goes my amusement for tonight. You and your friend are boring to talk to, nothing but an unwavering loyalty to each other paired with short answers. Still, perhaps sending you off to her recue might prove to be some entertainment."
At last, the snake groaned and slipped from her resting place, her upper body descending in a lazily manner as if she had lost her strength and succumbed to gravity. She slid down from her little makeshift hammock before dangling her upper body upside down, swinging like a heavy pendulum until she stopped when her eyes settled on Reta once more.
"You will find your friend in the next biome, but you mussst proceed with caution. In my little cage, I can hide in plain sight and use the jungle to my advantage, able to blend in even as I move. So be warned, in the circus it is not what you can see but rather what you cannot that is what you should truly fear."
That was enough for Reta to leave, with Felix running behind her. "Hey, what are you doing?"
"I'm going to get answers." She replied with a cold gaze as she marched out of the biome.
Janette was quick to follow them, restraining herself when the snake began to hiss once more before speaking up.
"Ooh, someone wantsss to play a little longer?" She cooed, twisting her head upright, her grin piercing through from ear to ear while her yellow eyes were fixated on the Nekomata.
KuliKuli didn't move from her place, staring back at the monster girl with wide eyes and parted lips. She composed herself and acknowledged Jannette's presence with a glance before looking up at the snake again.
"Kuli!" She called out, grabbing her attention before she followed behind her.
Reta had pushed through the crowd that blocked her path, shoving them aside with ease. It was easier to walk around the circus compared to earlier, she wondered if this had to do with the how late into the night it was by that point in time. Not as many people were breezing through the hallways, and it looked like some workers were in the middle of packing up a few tents. Now that she began to acknowledge her surroundings, it looked like the circus had an hour or two as it was beginning to close. Her focus remained on one objective in mind, she hurried running around the circus hallway until she had reached her destination. It was another biome, the third one they would get to see, and one that made her feel the most uneasy of.
She didn't give herself a moment to think, believing that it would set her back and postpone what she felt was inevitable. Better to strike now while you have the advantage, that was what she was trained to do, what she believed in. It was something that was lacking severely in the people around her. Janette speaks too much, always reading her thoughts and actions with the way she would scan her whenever she went silent, which was too often for Reta's taste. KuliKuli would bother her often with her optimism and smiles, always searching for an excuse to hug or cuddle or talk. She would play too much, like a spoiled child who can't get enough out of hearing themselves make noise, and it irked her knowing that KuliKuli had bested her in their first encounter by sheer fortune, or misfortune in Reta's place.
Now Felix, he was someone who bothered her the most, someone she could not get out of her head for some time. He was an easy prey at first, someone she found alone and defenseless before she made her move. That was her error in judgement, thinking back now, she acted too quickly without assessing the situation. If she had known about the cat girl beforehand, there would have been no question about who would emerge victorious in that fight.
Reta flinched, rubbing her temple as her thoughts continued to ramble around in her head.
Perhaps it was foolish for her to be so arrogant and believe she would have claimed the victory otherwise. In truth, she was skilled in combat but her cursed state altered her physical appearance and made it difficult for her to fight. She reached into her dress and brushed her fingers across the bite mark, feeling the ridges where the teeth sunk deep and pierced her skin. That memory had repeated itself every time she closed her eyes, and it was the reason behind her many sleepless nights for the weeks after. It was how she was able to travel far away, thanks to her teachings by her father and by her tribe, she had emerged as a survivor. That was why she had lived this long without her people, all alone with no one else to rely on but her knowledge and skill.
That all started to change that day when she found a lonely cabin perched atop a green hill where she first laid eyes on her prey.
But now, things were beginning to change. She was offered to take shelter among them when his cat girl requested that she be allowed the choice to leave or to stay. Admittedly, Reta accepted knowing that the storm would not pass through anytime soon, so what better choice than to take advantage of a naïve pairing who invite their assailant to live with them. She was the last one to sleep then, she was recalling what happened that night as she waited patiently until she could hear the two doze off with gentle little sighs, drifted deep in their slumber. It was the final night of the third full moon, she had just an hour or less to make use of her strength and claws, just one swipe across their necks would rid them of being a danger to her and give her the cabin to herself. Or better yet, strike her down and keep him to herself, as a bold claim of stealing the cat girl's territory while securing her own survival.
Only... that stupid boy! She squirmed and squeezed her eyes shut, her hands gripping the curtain tight as those memories came flooding back. That stupid, stupid, baka! When he approached her without any sign of fear, with those eyes of his staring into her as if she were some kind of helpless, lost maiden who needed protection. Ohhh, it drove her mad, it agitated her and filled her with uncertain rage whenever she would think about that moment. Not because he was ridiculing her, but because she could tell he was being sincere. Sincere! He was warned not to approach her, yet he ignored those warnings and set her free, drawing close enough for her to bite him and seal his fate.
He said at that moment that he didn't see her as a threat.
In a way, he challenged her as a warrior of her tribe, and when she found herself standing before their bedroom door, she struggled with deciding what he had meant when he said those words.
And now it pained her more, she realized that as she swallowed her guilt and pushed through the curtains into the biome. It pained her to know how how this person will see through her once more. She wanted to return a stronger woman, but this feeling inside... it was a weakness she developed and one she had grown to detest over the past few days. Hopefully, it was something she could push aside or use to her advantage, that was her final thought of uncertainty as she entered the room.
The biome was similarly designed as the others, with a dark setting and a magical ball of light shining down toward the glassy wall where the display was set. No one else was around, leaving this place abandoned. She felt a sense of relief knowing she will have a moment of privacy before the others caught up. Felix was behind her but he turned around, perhaps to help his true mate catch up, she didn't care. It benefited her if anything, hopefully they will stagnant and arrive after she was done. When she approached the biome, it was a different kind of natural setting to an unnerving degree. She was speechless, and for the first time since the night she was banished, she felt a wave of fear wash upon her.
This place was looking back at her home.
Tall pink glass growing high enough to reach her waist. Towering in the middle was a beautiful wisteria tree, its stems are slender and brown, its vines sprouting violet leaves cascading like icicles swaying gently as if their were a breeze on the other side. Reta nearly stumbled back as she took in this sight, recognizing where she had seen this tree before. She stepped in as close as she could before cupping around her eyes and pressing her face into the glass, her eyes scanning around the lower bark in search of something familiar. She held her breath and retreated when she found the initials at the bark, right where she had seen them before in person.
All of these biomes, what kind of magic could do this?
She shook her head and sighed when from the corner of her eye, she noticed several figures push past the curtain and approaching her. Felix walked up beside her, looking around in awe for a moment before reaching to her.
"Did you-"
"Not yet." She responded, licking her lips and breathing in. KuliKuli was startled when Reta began to whistle in a high tone, it was sudden and it ended quickly but it there was a strange tune to it. It echoed around the room and the others kept their eyes looking forward while Reta hung her head in submission. She took a deep breathe, knowing from the way her allies stepped back and gasped that it was time for her to face her tribe once more.
She raised her head and was met with a familiar face of a young woman around her age, her long violet hair evidently helped her blend in with her surroundings as she appeared from the tall grass. Her eyes were fierce as they roamed between one face and another, as if someone had trespassed into her home. She had very little in clothing to hide her light skinned body, wearing a sarashi around her breasts and baggy white pants with pink petals decorating the right leg, similar in design with Reta's dress.
When Reta raised her head, the woman's eyes flashed before she was met with a scowl. "Mizuki!"
Reta sighed and offered a faint smile. "I would have never guessed to see you captured, Umeko."
