Monster Girls Book 1: A Tale of Tails!

Felix felt his eye twitch and his claws flare up without warning. He pulled away from Reta's hand as he felt the mark on his neck pulsate suddenly, sending adrenaline through him as he held his wrist.

"Damn!" He seethed, heart racing as he struggled to control himself.

Janette gasped and Syri leaned onto her sides as they watched their friend's arms trembling out of control. Reta stepped in and leaned close, her eyes darting between his claws and his panicked expression.

"Close your eyes." She said, speaking in a soft, calming voice as she placed a hand on his arm. "Lie still and close your eyes. Block out your world and focus."

He grunted in response, squeezing his eyes shut and being careful to keep his hands from her. Sensing his concerns, Reta faced him and wrapped her hands around his, cupping them together while keeping her eyes on him. "Let it pass. When you force it, you invite resistance. Breathe through your nose and exhale."

"R-Right." Two weeks prior and thinking of ways to calm down would have been easier. If anything, he felt rather embarrassed being seen by everyone while he was like this.

It took a minute until he felt like he could hear past his beating heart, but finally he was panting in relief. His claws retracted back into fingernails, allowing him to hold his chest without cutting into himself.

"What-" He exhaled, looking up at his friends. "What just happened?"

Syri held her paws over her mouth, her face reddening as she mumbled out, "It's the bond."

Everyone turned to look at her.

"The- The bond you have with my sister." She explained, her tails slowly wagging behind her. "Our mothers said that when you bond with your mate, you're sharing a piece of your soul. You can sense each other in times of happiness and pain."

Janette sighed, placing a hand on her hip before looking at Felix. Time seemed frozen between them as the silence lingered on.

Felix looked around, checking to see if anyone else witnessed his flare up. "This just proves that we need to take action and save them as soon as possible. We shouldn't be sitting around taking breaks."

"Why not?" Everyone spun around, alarmed as Spi'Reto calmly strolled down the bridge approaching them. He spun an arrow between his fingers, rotating it with ease while he took turns glancing between each of them. "Did I scare you? The cats are sneakier. Took me a while to adjust to them roaming around at night, especially when they're in cat form."

He walked up to Felix, catching the arrow by hand before pointing at him and Reta with its fletching. "How are you two feeling today? Good to see you can walk."

"Tch! It takes more than an arrow to my thigh to incapacitate me." Reta huffed, crossing her arms.

The elf smiled in response. "I see that. Just don't push yourself too hard."

Felix stepped in. "When are we going to attack next?"

Spi'Reta blinked in surprise. "We can discuss that by evening. Rest up for now."

"If we take too long, who knows what can happen to them." Felix remined him, "Where's Alma?"

"She's busy at one of the higher huts-"

Felix brushed past the woodland elf with haste. "I need to talk to her, she'll understand-"

"Whoa hey there, slow down buddy." Spi'Reto stepped back, blocking him. "Look I admire your resolve but it's equally important to take breaks."

"We can't just take breaks while Perdilius has them!" Felix shouted, causing Janette and Syri to hold their breaths from a distance. He ignored Spi'Reto and pushed through, only for the elf to held out his arm against his chest. "Get out of my way, Spi'Reto."

"You're not listening to me." He calmly answered back, glaring at him. "Take a breather and calm yourself, we can discuss this later-"

But he didn't want to hear it. Felix grabbed his arm to pass through, forcing Spi'Reto to grab his wrist and twist his forearm behind his back. Felix yelped in pain, but his eyes flared up as he swung his right elbow back, forcing the elf to duck under and drop his hold. Once he ducked below, Spi'Reto used his left shoulder to push him back in order to gain some distance.

"Calm down!" He demanded as they locked eyes. "We'll make it easier for them to track us if we attack again and again. And we don't have the numbers to enforce a direct encounter with Perdilius, we just don't!"

Felix was breathing hard, his shoulders dropping as the tension through his nerves began to fade away. Seeing this allowed Spi'Reto to stand up straight and lean back, popping his back muscles. "If you must know, we're communicating with other villages around Faehorn Forest to coordinate our next attack."

"Other villages?" Janette asked, cautiously stepping along the edges to keep a safe distance around them.

Spi'Reto raised his hands to keep everyone calm. "There's more of us out there, but not enough. Look, we're just as eager to get this over with as you are. We're meant to preserve wildlife, not to fight a war. They have steel, cannons, and explosives. All we have are knives and arrows. So please, just get accustomed to things here and work with us the same way we've worked with you."

He took one look at Felix. "And please, let's try to stay civil here. I can let it slide but the others take conflict very seriously. We don't always resolve conflict with a duel here. If you're so eager for some action, I was just heading down with some friends to handle a few pests. We've spotted slime trails a few hundred paces from here, so you're welcome to join us then. That's if your wounds aren't hindering your mobility. You can join me if you want, or if you heavily insist, you can go up and talk to Alma. Suit yourself."

He waved back at them as he strolled through, descending down the next bridge.

Janette shot Felix a glaring look. He sighed and hung his head, nodding as he agreed with her in silence. "Sorry. It won't happen again."

"I think... maybe we should all take a breather." She suggested, looking around as Syri nodded in agreement.

Felix stood looking out across the forest, his hand on the rope fence while his two friends made their way below. Reta stood behind him, clearing her throat.

"Your reflexes are getting better." She commented.

Felix snickered, holding back a laugh as he shook his head. "I made a fool of myself and that's what you're focusing on?"

"You are a fool, but we've known that." She teased, nudging his arm.

"Right, your baka."

"You should join him, get your mind off from the stress."

He gave her a funny look. "Won't you be joining?"

She clicked her tongue, leaning against the hut doorframe. "No, I believe some rest is reserved for myself."

He eyed her with suspicion, glancing at her leg. "Is it-"

"It's not my leg, baka!" She hissed, lowering her voice and clearing her throat. "Fine, yes. It hurts to walk and I would rather heal now so that we may resume the fight tomorrow."

"What about breakfast?" He asked.

Reta glanced at Janette and Syri. "I can ask our... ffffriendsss... to bring me a platter upon their return."

"Did wolfy just call me friend?" Syri whispered into Janette's ear.

"I think so, we're making progress." She giggled, squeezing Syri's paw.

Reta leaned in, pulled Felix toward her and kissed him on the cheek. "Go, have your fun. But do not exhaust your stamina too far. I have plans to resume our training tonight."

"Oh." He blushed, smiling dumbly before collecting himself. "Y-yea, okay. I'll see you then, rest up."

She watched as he hurried down the bridge, waiting patiently only to realize that Janette and Syri hadn't budged. "Why are you still here?"

"It's just rather new seeing you like this." Janette beamed.

Syri couldn't stifle her giggling fit, hugging Janette's arm. "Gods, look at her skin! She's glowing!"

Reta blinked, her face turning red. "Nani?"

"Someone's happyyyy!" Syri teased, covering her mouth.

"Maybe someone can tame the big bad wolf." Janette added, both of them erupting in laughter.

Reta fumed, her hands curling into fists. She took one step forward and that was enough for the pair to hurry down the bridge, their giggles fading along with them. She huffed and leaned back, finally left alone outside of her hut.

"How long have you been up there?" She asked, waiting expectantly as Na'Vi swung upside down from her hiding spot above her.

"Long enough, your human friend has some anger to work through. Are all humans so emotional?" She asked, landing beside her. "Ah, I forget. You're a human too."

Reta rolled her eyes. "Indeed. You told them."

"Of course, we agreed that they should know." She replied, taking a bite from an apple she had with her. "Mm, still not sure who that mystery elf is."

"I would suggest he's the older one from the meeting we were all in."

"Which one?" She asked, waving her apple around. "There's plenty of elders residing here."

"Can't you use that nose of yours and track his scent?"

Na'Vi scoffed. "I don't know if you've noticed, but they all smell of fruits. Except the elders, some of them smell funny."

Reta snatched her apple and stole a quick bite. "Are you going to make a habit of sneaking around?"

Na'Vi shrugged. "I figured they won't notice me absent with so many Nekomata running around."

"Is that your plan, eavesdropping on them?"

"It's more than just them, Reta." She revealed, taking her apple back. "Some of the elders are exchanging words, seems like there's plenty more that aren't fond of that book your friend carries."

"What's so dangerous about Vardare?"

"What he knows. When Janette told them that he has Perdilius' memories, some of them feel threatened by it. Some of the elves have been keeping a close eye on her and that book. Tell her to keep it close at all times."

Reta nodded, her gaze wandering to that black ivory tower looming past the forest, almost as if it was staring at them. Na'Vi caught on to where she was looking.

"You helped rescue Syri from them, how?"

Na'Vi finished eating her apple, tossing the stem aside. "I stowed away under their carriage."

"Tell me, what were they doing to them?"

"Nothing really. They were kept in cages, fed and given water, nothing more."

"Hmm." Reta frowned, hanging her head while staring off in thought. "You saw the way he reacted, could that mean-"

"It could." She warned before taking a breath. "But keep in mind that they need her and Dimyri unharmed for whatever purpose they have in mind."

"A ritual of sorts... one we have yet to discover." Reta paused, "Or rather, one that Vardare has yet to share."

"You didn't bother to ask?"

"We have, but his answer comes in the form of a story. We learned that the tower has resided there for a long time, and that the elves protected him from harm."

"They worked with him before." Na'Vi mentioned, "Alma has told us before. It's not a tale they like to share."

"On our way to the fort, we came across a sight of the city. There was a section that looked peculiar... as if it were blazing with green light."

Na'Vi closed her eyes. "The Valley of Death."

Reta turned to her, waiting for her to reveal more.

Na'Vi sighed. "We don't go near that place, ever. It's been embedded into our heads as soon as we can talk. Never travel to that place, and it hasn't been a problem. The Valley is within the city, so there's no risk of it spreading into the forest. Well, not without it becoming his problem first."

"Spreading? Explain."

"That's as far as I know. We've never seen what's on the other side, but some of the Elders have. Alma too, it's where she lost her husband. A lot of them were lost in that Valley."

"Who... how did that Valley happen?" She asked, noticing Na'Vi's discomfort.

She shuffled her feet close, wrapping her arms around herself as a shiver traveled along her skin. "Who do you think?" She muttered with disdain.

Reta didn't have any words, observing as Na'Vi walking off toward the ledge.

"I'll be keeping an eye out to see what else we can learn. Stay close to Janette but don't tell Syri. She doesn't handle stressful situations well; she gets panicky and stutters a lot." Na'Vi ordered, looking back at her. "One more thing, try to keep the 'training' down at night. A lot of the girls are teasing you guys about 'taming the wolf'."

She flashed a smile seeing her friend blush. Na'Vi then transformed back into her black cat form, leaping out and climbing onto a hovering branch before slipping away, once again leaving Reta all by herself.

"Chikusho." Reta muttered, blushing before limping back into her hut.