Chapter 102: Best Friend. That’s Final.
The two elephant sisters finally hauled their massive bodies out of the rushing river, water cascading down their thick, grey skin as they stood towering right in front of Nuan.
"You guys were on the other side of the river the entire night?" Nuan asked, squinting up at them. Behind her, Tala and Lyra immediately bowed their heads in deep respect.
"Yes! We just went out to explore, and let me tell you, that land over there is packed with juicy berries and all kinds of different fruits!" Zuri cheered, her trunk swaying happily.
"Yes, we ate so many sweet berries that we actually got intoxicated and ended up passing out over there for the entire night," Amara added, completely unbothered.
Nuan looked up at them, her jaw dropping in absolute shock. What??? How many thousands of pounds of berries do you even have to consume for two literal, giant elephants to get drunk?!
"Don’t tell me... did you two seriously not leave a single berry bush or fruit tree standing?" Nuan asked, rubbing her temples.
"Haha! How did you know, Witch?" Zuri chuckled, her massive chest rumbling with amusement.
"Yeah, well, you guys practically wiped out the entire fruity vegetation for this whole summer in a single night," Nuan muttered, deeply amused by their appetite.
Amara blinked her large eyes, looking a bit concerned. "Is there a problem? Is that land someone’s territory?"
"Well, not anymore," Nuan explained, folding her arms. "That territory used to belong to Bramor... a giant brown bear. But he left many days ago to go find a mate. After he left, a fierce cougar tried to overtake the area."
"Is that the same cougar who attacked you?" Amara asked, her tone sharpening.
"Yeah. Actually, I went over there searching for some specific leaves, and I ended up severely injuring her in a fight. She came back for revenge and tried to finish me off," Nuan said.
Taking a casual step backward, Nuan positioned herself right between Lyra and Tala, placing a firm, proud hand on each of their backs. "But luckily, these two saved me at the very last moment! They fought that vicious cougar bravely!"
Tala’s ears instantly flushed bright red, and she looked down at her paws, blushing. "You are flattering us too much, Witch..."
"Yes, we really didn’t do much," Lyra added quickly, wanting to be honest. "It was Mother and the rest of the pack who arrived, fought the cougar, and took care of her for good!"
"No," Zuri interjected, her large ears flopping forward. "I have heard of those creatures. Cougars are known across the lands as mountain lions!"
Amara nodded in heavy agreement. "Yes. Going against a big cat is an incredible feat, no matter if it comes from the dense jungle or the open plains."
Nuan nodded right back, giving the two wolf sisters an encouraging nudge. "Yup! Be proud, you two. Going up against a literal apex big cat takes a hell of a lot of courage."
"But you are far braver than us, Witch," Lyra whispered, her eyes filled with reverence. "Mother told us that you actually pierced the beast’s chest first. You could have easily taken her life right then and there, but you chose to spare her."
Zuri smiled warmly down at her. "The Good Witch is simply too benevolent to take a life unnecessarily."
"Haha... you all flatter me too much," Nuan murmured, letting out a slightly awkward chuckle.
She shook the flatter away and looked up at the giants. "Oh, well, that reminds me... I haven’t actually thanked you two properly for bringing the Red Root and saving me."
"We only did what we were born to do! You are the sole reason our clan exists today," Amara said with deep, unyielding loyalty.
"Yes, yes! Our entire clan owes you a colossal debt, Witch Aestra," Zuri chimed in.
Amara looked out toward the horizon, her expression turning serious. "And because of that, we will be heading back to the open plains tonight. We must let our Matriarch know as soon as possible that the ancient prophecy is finally unfolding, and that you, the Great Witch Aestra, have returned among us beasts."
Nuan visibly gulped, her inner soul sweating bullets. Ugh, seriously? Everyone in this world treating me like I’m the chosen protagonist of some shonen anime! Ugh, whatever, just roll with it.
"Oh, well, then before you go, can you give some of that Red Root to Kael?" Nuan asked, folding her arms.
"Hm? We actually offered the young Alpha the Red Root as well, but he refused it without a single second thought!" Zuri said, shaking her massive head.
"Yes, that wolf is too naive... but his heart is pure," Amara added heavily.
"Hm... he refused?" Nuan muttered, blinking in confusion before looking over at Lyra and Tala.
Both of the wolf sisters nodded quickly, and Lyra explained, "Yes, Mother told us that the Alpha is terrified you might run away the moment his own injuries are healed. He thinks if he stays hurt, you’ll stick around."
"Ugh, that absolute idiot!!!" Nuan groaned, letting out a huge, exasperated sigh. She looked back up at Zuri and Amara, her fingers clenching into an aggressive fist.
"Uhm, give me the Red Root then. I will personally stuff the entire root down his throat!"
"Sure, we have no problem with that," Amara rumbled, deeply amused by the furless girl’s fiery attitude.
"Well then!" Nuan yelled, fiercely stretching both of her arms over her head. "Time to finally dive into the river!"
"Oh? You came all the way out here for a swim?" Zuri asked, tilting her head.
"Yes, but it is called a bath for me!!!" Nuan corrected proudly. She did a quick, unhinged warm-up stretch on the bank and then ran full speed toward the rushing water. "Here I come, hygiene!"
With a loud splash, she dived head-first directly into the river.
Beneath the surface, the cool water enveloped her, and her legs kicked gracefully, pushing her deeper into the current. Oh, bless this beautifully healthy ankle! Nuan thought as she swam smoothly through the water. Honestly, if my ankle hadn’t twisted up back on Earth, maybe I would have survived that accident and still been alive there...
She shook the dark thought away and began swimming upward toward the sunlight. Well, there is no point in crying over spilled milk. My ankle is flawless now, and I am fully alive right here. It is time to start planning my solo journey to find my own territory and live a peaceful, independent life!
Her head broke through the water’s surface with a sharp splash. "Huhhh... huhh!"
Nuan shook her head violently, throwing her wet hair back as the fresh river water dripped down her face. She wiped her eyes, letting out a blissful sigh. "Man, this feels so incredibly good!"
Ding!
[ HOST!!!!! ]
Ugh? What now?
[ What on earth do you mean by ’solo journey’ and ’peaceful independent life’?! ]
Hm? I mean exactly what I just said. Word for word.
[ But you literally just admitted right before the elephants screamed that you accept Mate Kael as your mate! ]
Ehhh??? No, I didn’t! Nuan barked back mentally.
[ No! Yes, you did! I heard it loud and clear with my own ears! ]
Eh? Since when do you have ears, you piece of software?
[ That was a metaphor, Host! You cannot go back on your own words! ]
I am not going back on anything, blue buddy! Nuan hissed internally, floating on her back. What I was trying to say before I got violently interrupted by Zuri and Amara’s sonic boom was...’Well, after everything I just saw... I guess I will accept Kael as a best friend!’ I mean, really, the guy is a fantastic caretaker. He can easily be my best friend!
[ Host... ]
Yes?
[ You cannot possibly be serious right now!!!! ]
[ After the literal cinema-grade footage I just showed you?! How Mate Kael meticulously took care of your comatose body, how he openly cried for you, how he starved himself for you...!!! ]
[ YOU STILL CALL HIM JUST A BEST FRIEND???? ]
Ugh, you are being so incredibly noisy! Nuan shot back, rolling her eyes. What exactly do you think I am? Some generic adult romance novel protagonist who gets saved and cared for by a hot male beastman, and suddenly I’m all over him, ready to bear his children? Please. Have some standards!
Just then, Tala and Lyra happily dived into the river beside her, splashing around like giant puppies. Up on the bank, Zuri dipped her massive trunk into the water, sucked up a gallon of river water, and playfully showered all three of them with a high-pressure rain blast.
"Whoa!!!" Nuan laughed happily, thoroughly enjoying the refreshing blast and completely ignoring her crying, throwing-a-tantrum system.
Meanwhile, up at the shaded treeline, Amara stood peacefully, lazily chewing on a bundle of thick branches while keeping an eye on her little sister.
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