Chapter 144: The Creatures Beyond the Gate 3
Every beastman on the wall slowly turned toward the strangers.
Then they turned back to stare at her again, as her words slowly started making sense.
Swanly shrugged.
"Come on. It was obvious."
Kael stared at her.
Raku stared at her.
Several warriors stared at her.
Swanly frowned.
"What?"
Raku slowly said:
"It was not obvious."
"It absolutely was."
"To you."
Swanly rolled her eyes.
"Think faster."
The system appeared beside her.
{Host has offended entire settlement intelligence.}
Shut up.
Outside the gate, one of the centaur females whispered something under her breath.
The large male’s face had hardened.
The first winged female stared at Swanly differently now.
Not dismissively.
Assessing.
Soren’s eyes had also sharpened.
He looked toward the strangers.
"She’s right."
Nobody answered.
Soren smiled.
It was not a pleasant smile.
"So now we speak honestly."
Before anyone could answer, metal clinked.
Swanly turned.
She had not noticed him before.
Mostly because he had been standing farther back between two large warriors.
A male.
Winged.
Chained.
The only one.
His wrists were bound in dark restraints connected by a heavy chain.
Another chain circled his waist.
One end was held by an enormous Ground-Hoof warrior beside him.
Swanly blinked.
Why the fuck was one of their own people chained?
Then he lifted his head.
And Swanly understood something else immediately.
Trouble.
He looked like trouble.
Beautiful trouble.
Unfortunately.
His dark hair fell messily around a face that was far too handsome for someone standing in chains.
Sharp cheekbones.
Dark blue-black skin.
Glowing pale-violet eyes.
Long antennae curved backward elegantly.
His natural armor was lighter than the warriors around him, leaving more of his muscular chest and stomach visible.
His wings were folded tightly behind him.
One was bound.
Not injured.
Restrained.
His mouth curved easily despite the chains.
Swanly immediately disliked that smile.
Not because it was ugly.
Because it looked like the smile of someone who had never once regretted making a terrible decision.
His eyes had been half closed.
Then they landed on Swanly.
They opened fully.
The chained male stopped breathing.
The Veskari female beside him saw his expression.
She immediately closed her eyes.
"No."
Another male muttered:
"Do not."
The chained stranger ignored both.
His antennae tilted forward.
His eyes traveled over Swanly.
White fox ears.
Long silver-white hair.
Blue-gray eyes.
Huge white tail.
Then back to her face.
His expression became almost delighted.
"That..."
The warrior holding his chain sighed.
"Do not speak."
"...is the most beautiful beastwoman I have ever seen."
Silence.
Swanly blinked.
Me?
For one ridiculous second, she genuinely thought she had misunderstood him.
Then she noticed every glowing eye outside the gate and nearly every beastman beside her had turned in her direction.
Her ears twitched.
Why the hell are you all looking at me?
She glanced behind herself.
Unfortunately, someone actually was standing there.
Selka.
Of course.
Her cage had not been built yet.
Tovan had barely received the order before the strangers arrived.
So Selka was still under guard near the inner wall.
The rust-colored fox woman had apparently moved close enough to watch.
And now she was smiling.
Swanly’s first thought was immediate.
Please don’t tell me he means her.
Then she caught herself.
Why did she care?
If this strange chained lunatic wanted Selka, wonderful.
Take her.
Free delivery.
Swanly immediately moved aside.
Selka slowly touched her hair.
Her chin lifted.
She stepped forward slightly.
For a woman who had nearly died repeatedly because of her obsession with powerful males, she apparently still craved attention enough to flirt with death itself.
Her smile became soft.
"You mean me?"
The chained male finally noticed her.
He looked.
Once.
His entire face changed.
His nose wrinkled.
His antennae leaned backward.
He gave Selka one painfully slow look from head to toe.
Then:
"You?"
Selka’s smile froze.
His mouth twisted.
"No."
Silence.
Raku’s lips pressed together.
Swanly immediately looked away because she knew she was about to laugh.
The chained male frowned at Selka.
"Why would I mean you?"
Selka’s mouth opened.
Nothing came out.
He sniffed once.
His expression became worse.
"Your scent is unpleasant."
Brann closed his eyes.
Someone behind Swanly choked.
Selka’s face went red.
Then darker.
Then red again.
"You..."
The chained male had already stopped looking at her.
Apparently Selka had ceased existing.
His violet eyes returned directly to Swanly.
He smiled.
"There."
He lifted both chained hands.
The restraints clinked.
Then he pointed directly at Swanly.
"You."
Swanly’s amusement vanished.
The male’s smile widened.
"The clever one."
Kael’s growl began.
Soren’s head turned.
Very.
Slowly.
The Veskari holding the prisoner’s chain looked toward the sky like he was asking unseen ancestors why they had burdened him with this man.
The winged female rubbed her forehead.
Another whispered:
"Every time."
Swanly stared at the chained stranger.
He stared back.
Then he said cheerfully:
"You are beautiful."
Swanly’s eye twitched.
"And smart."
Another clink of chains as he leaned forward.
"I want you."
Silence.
Absolute.
Dead.
Silence.
Swanly’s brain stopped.
Excuse me?
Kael’s pupils expanded until his golden eyes were almost black.
His claws extended.
Soren’s expression disappeared completely.
That was worse.
Much worse.
His tail moved once across the earth.
Slowly.
The chained Veskari looked between them.
Then back at Swanly.
"Oh."
His smile became interested.
"You already have problems."
Swanly pointed at him.
"You are about to become one."
The male laughed.
Then, from somewhere behind the inner wall, came a tiny horrified shriek.
"WHAT?!"
Swanly’s eyes widened.
No.
A little black head appeared over the barrier.
Tilla grabbed for him.
Too late.
Miko squeezed free.
He climbed onto a storage basket.
Raised both tiny fists.
And screamed at the top of his lungs:
"WHAT YOU MEAN YOU WANT MY MAMA?!"
Every head turned.
Miko pointed furiously at the chained stranger.
His little face was red with outrage.
"The snake already took her!"
Soren’s face darkened.
Swanly’s soul left her body.
Miko was not finished.
He threw both arms into the air.
"NOW YOU TOO?!"