Rayna sat cross-legged near her small fire, hungrily tearing into the fish like a woman who hadn't eaten in years. The fish was hot, crispy, and utterly delicious.
"Not bad," she mumbled through a bite, licking her fingers. "I could open a five-star cave restaurant at this rate. Surely, the concept of restaurant doesn't exist here, and the beastmen will surely find my cooked food delicious, since all of them depend upon eating raw uncooked food. Plus, I can earn some money."
Just then, a smooth, deep voice cut through the crackling of the fire.
"Rayna, right?"
Rayna turned towards the sound—expecting Soren, maybe—but no. The voice belonged to someone else entirely. It felt strange someone calling her name here in the beastworld. Except Soren and the village chief no one knew her name. Yet.
Rayna stood up and went near the entrance of her hut and saw a fox beastman standing there, arms full with a woven basket and a couple of clay pots.
His top was a sleeveless hide vest, loosely tied at the front, revealing hints of his toned chest beneath. His auburn hair was tousled, wild yet effortlessly attractive, and his sharp amber eyes gleamed like molten gold in the firelight.
Rayna blinked not expecting a visit from a fox beastman. "Well, hello." she said politely.
"I brought some fruits... and clay pots to store things," he said with a smile. His smile was charming.
"Oh—uh, thanks", Rayna said, clearing her throat and quickly wiping her hands on her dress.
He crouched down beside the fire and set the items near her.
"I figured you might need some help settling in. I'm Ezra", he added.
Rayna nodded,
"Yes, thank you Ezra for bringing these here". Rayna shook her hand with Ezra briefly like a handshake feeling the faint press of calluses and warmth from his hand.
Ezra wasn't familiar with this odd gesture—when Rayna clasped his hand, he froze for a second, then smirked slightly, misinterpreting the handshake as something else. He glanced inside the hut and saw the roasting fish.
"You caught that fish yourself?" he asked, clearly impressed. "Not many females here do that."
Rayna raised a brow, a playful smirk tugging at her lips. "Well, I'm not like most females."
Ezra chuckled low. "I can see that."
He stepped a bit closer, crouching near the fire as the fish crackled over the flame. "You have made an interesting setup for roasting this fish, I've never seen it before."
"You're full of surprises" he said, while getting up. "Most females here wait for someone else to bring them food."
Rayna shrugged, keeping her eyes on the roasting fish. "I like doing things myself. Less waiting, more eating."
Ezra smiled. "And here I was thinking I'd impress you with a few fruits."
Rayna smirked, glancing at the basket he brought. "Well... that depends. Are they sweet?"
He picked one up—a plump red berry—and offered it to her. "Try it, I carefully picked the fruits."
Rayna took it slowly, brushing her fingers against his just briefly, then popped it in her mouth.
"Hm. Not bad," she said, lips twitching.
Ezra's grin widened, a little smug. "Told you."
Just then, the smell of the fish intensified, perfectly timed with Ezra's stomach giving a quiet grumble. Ezra gave an embarrassed look.
Rayna chuckled. "Looks like someone is hungry. Well because you brought me these sweet fruits and pots, as a thank you, here you go Ezra." Rayna offered him a roasted fish.
Ezra refused at first, but then because his stomach gave another hungry growl, he took the fish and tasted it.
"Yumm, it's so delicious." Ezra ate up the fish quickly in big bites.
"Yeah roasted fish is far better than a raw one you know" Rayna said with a satisfied nod.
Ezra licked his fingers and then looked up, grinning. "Smart, pretty, can cook and fend for yourself? You're really rare and unique Rayna."
Rayna blinked, caught off guard by the sudden compliment. A faint blush crept up her cheeks as she quickly looked away, pretending to poke at the fire.
"T-Thank you" Rayna said slightly blushing.
And then a voice cut through the air, cool and unmistakably sarcastic.
"Oh? You said you didn't want to choose a mate right now but here you're already flirting, hm?"
Rayna turned to see Soren standing by the doorway, arms crossed and one brow slightly raised.
Rayna scoffed. "Excuse me?" she sputtered, glaring at Soren. "We were just talking."
Soren strode in casually, his golden eyes flicking from Ezra to the fire-roasted fish. "Mm-hm. Talking. You even gave him your food. That's what you call it."
Ezra, unfazed, grinned and gave Soren a nod. "Relax, Soren. I just brought her some supplies and stayed for a bit because I was hungry. Rayna being kind offered to share some of her fish, and we were just having a casual conversation."
Soren ignored Ezra completely and looked straight at Rayna, his arms still crossed.
"Setting up a fire, cooking... even offering your precious fish to a stranger," he said, his voice laced with sarcasm—but his expression was something else entirely. "But not even a single bite for the person who saved your neck and brought you all the way here?"
Rayna blinked. Was he... sulking?
She stared at him, trying to keep a straight face. Wait—is he actually upset because I didn't offer him a piece of fish? A fish? Seriously?
Of all things, this was what made him pout?
Rayna raised a brow, trying not to laugh, understanding the situation. "Alright, alright... I'll roast one for you next time, is that okay Soren?"
Soren narrowed his eyes slightly. "Next time better come soon."
Before Rayna could reply, he turned his gaze to Ezra, his tone cooling a few more degrees. "And you? Why are you here? Weren't you supposed to be in the Beastcity?"
Ezra shrugged casually, "I finished my assignment early. Thought I'd return before the wet season hits."
He grinned, tilting his head toward Rayna. "And well... when I came back, the village was buzzing. A crowd around the chief's hut, and all the noise was about a mysterious, beautiful newcomer."
Rayna blinked as Ezra's eyes rested on her.
"I asked the chief, and when she told me a female was settling in near the river, I figured I should be helpful. So I brought her some pots and fruits. A little welcome gesture." He smiled.
Rayna admired Ezra's face. Ezra's smile was... unfairly attractive. The kind of smile that made you feel like you were the only person in the room. It had the effortless confidence in it. Warm, teasing, and a little cocky.
"Okay wow... what's with these beastmen and their faces? she thought, trying not to stare. Tall, charming, and now he smiles like that? Great. Just great. As if my heart didn't have enough chaos."
She cleared her throat and glanced away, feigning nonchalance—but a tiny blush betrayed her.
Soren said nothing, but his jaw tightened slightly. His golden eyes flicked briefly toward the basket Ezra had placed beside Rayna—then right back to him.
Ezra's smile widened, clearly catching the look. "What? Just being friendly."
He turned to Rayna, voice casual but with a glint in his eyes. "By the way, the day after tomorrow, we have our Nomei festival in the village. It's a big one happens once in a year—feast, music, duels... Beastmen from nearby villages will join too. It's a good way to socialize and—"
But before he could finish, a fox beastman came and called out, breathless. "Ezra! Chief needs you right away."
Ezra sighed. "Got to go", "Don't forget what I said, alright? I'll be your guide that day." He smiled and gave Rayna a wink.
And with that, he turned and left, leaving a subtle trail of citrusy forest scent behind him.
Rayna was still staring at the spot where he disappeared when Soren snapped her out of it.
"You smell like fish."
She blinked, turning to see Soren staring at her.
"What?" she asked.
"You were practically rolling around in smoke and fish grease. You should clean yourself in the river" he said dryly.
Rayna sniffed her sleeve and winced. "...Ugh. Okay, fair."
"I'll take you there," Soren added, already turning.
"I can go myself," Rayna said, narrowing her eyes.
Soren glanced back, "I'm sure you can go by yourself," he said. "But the Village Chief told me to look after you. And plus for safety reasons— I'm not taking chances."
Rayna let out a dramatic sigh. "Fine, fine. Escort me, oh great guardian."
They walked through the trees together, the forest quiet except for the soft rustling of leaves and the sound of the river. The path was the same, which Rayna took earlier. Eventually, they reached the riverbank.
Rayna stopped and looked at him. "I'd like some privacy now."
Soren gave a short nod and turned his back. "Take your time."
Rayna entered the river, wading into the water. The cool river sent a shiver up her spine, but it was refreshing. She cupped the water and splashed her arms and neck. Just then, she heard a rustle.
"Don't freak out," Soren's voice came from behind, "I'm tossing you something."
He gently lobbed a small reddish-gold fruit her way. It landed softly on a rock by the river. The skin of the fruit was red velvety, and when she picked it up, a sweet floral scent wafted into the air. It smelled faintly of vanilla and blooming flowers—delicate but intoxicating.
"This is called mirael fruit," Soren called. "Some females here use its scent while bathing. Crush it and rinse—it helps get rid of the stink."
Rayna crushed it, the fragrant juices spreading through her fingers. She scrubbed herself clean with the pulpy mixture, and the scent clung softly to her skin. She inhaled, surprised. "Wow... this smells really nice."
Soren accidently got a glimpse of Rayna's figure.
The sunlight filtered through the trees, casting golden dappled patterns across her skin. Water droplets clung to her like scattered jewels, glistening on her shoulders, sliding down the curve of her neck and tracing the lines of her collarbone. She looked ethereal.
For a second—just a second—Soren forgot to breathe.
The way the sunlight caught in her damp hair, the soft glow of her freshly cleaned skin, the calm confidence in the way she moved—it all pulled his attention and held it, firmly.
She didn't even notice the effect she had.
Soren looked away quickly, jaw tight. He told himself it didn't matter. It was just the sun. Just the water.
And yet... he couldn't shake the image.
Rayna after cleaning herself stepped out of the water, but she fell in thought as she looked at her clothes. Her clothes were still damp and reeked of smoke and fish.
Before she could say anything, Soren disappeared into the trees. Within minutes, he returned, holding a simple but well-stitched outfit— a soft fur tube top and a knee-length wrap skirt of deep brown, held together with a braided bark cord.
He tossed it toward her without making eye contact. "Put this on. It's clean."
Rayna blinked, caught off guard. "Thanks". Rayna said with a smile. The outfit was quite modest and covered her well.
She dried herself quickly, slipped into the new clothes, and joined him.
As they walked side by side through the quiet environment, Rayna glanced up. "Hey Soren, I wanted to ask about what Ezra mentioned earlier. About a festival? The Nomei Festival?"
Soren gave a small grunt of acknowledgment. "Yeah. Happens right before the wet season every year."
He looked ahead as he spoke, voice steady. "Beastmen from nearby villages come here. Ours is bigger, so it usually hosts. There's a large feast, bonding rituals, and a chance for females to choose mates if they want. Some males also duel to prove their strength. It's loud, chaotic... and important."
Rayna tilted her head. "Sounds like a mix of a matchmaking event and a tournament."
Soren's lips twitched. "You could say that. It's not mandatory. But... many take it seriously."
Rayna looked up at the sky. "Interesting. Might be fun to watch."
Soren didn't say anything. He just glanced sideways, his gaze lingering on her a little longer than usual before turning back to the path ahead.
After a brief silence, he asked, his tone casual—too casual, "So... are you thinking of choosing mates during the Nomei Festival?"
Rayna blinked, a little taken aback. She hadn't expected Soren to ask something like that—let alone show interest.
"I might," she replied cautiously, keeping her voice neutral. "Why? Planning to give me a list of recommendations?" she added jokingly.
Soren gave a low, amused huff but didn't answer that. Instead, Rayna asked, "So Soren, do you participate in those duels and matches? You know, to show off your strength or impress females?"
He shook his head. "No. I never needed to."
Then, after a moment, his gaze flicked towards her again—more intense this time.
"But I think I will this year," he added, his voice quiet but purposeful.
Rayna caught the way he was looking at her.
And for some reason... her heart skipped a beat.