Chapter 2: Encounter
"Damn it!"
Richard walked and walked in the forest so flustered and agitated that he gave very little regard to his surroundings as he gave his mind a furious spin in search for an answer to his predicament, in circles he continued but, he walked, nonetheless. he found himself on the same spot since earlier on the morning. he walked around the area he recognized as the affected area on which he was spat out by the spatial irregularity he saw burst with light earlier and saw it completely disappear.
Richard was trying hard to commit his current environment to his memory just in case it was necessary to once again flee another phenomenon that showed itself unannounced. He looked everywhere for details that might stand out that would facilitate the place he was in.
he was aware that any decision he took now would greatly affect his life in the immediate future. he knew his choices were few, he could either stay at the spot where the irregularity happened in hopes of it opening again and attempt to go home or he could explore the area and seek the nearest town to which use to contact his family and to let them know he was okay and by doing so they could arrange his return home. but it also occurred to him that no story had ever trended on social media or the new stations regarding irregularities or paranormal happenings at the park he was at. the park he went to was rather popular and if such a irregularity was a usual occurrence the park would have long closed and declared some sort of radioactive space by the government so that it could be further studied it pursuit of answers.
However, in that case what could he do? He would end up hungry and thirsty very soon and for what he has read online and some survival pamphlets a human would die if he went three days without any water. He had to mark the area with something so that he could take people back here and have them investigate it. he could become famous by making a once in a lifetime discovery. that is of course after he makes it out of this place, right now his priority should be finding a water source to keep himself alive. if he stays here and grows thirsty, he will not think straight and would die searching for water.
As he pondered himself onto what to do, something caught his attention.
[creak]
A sound of a branch snapping came from right behind me and Richard froze momentarily.an animal was approaching him from the thick of the bushes or should have been. It was a gigantic boar, the biggest boar he has ever seen; it was as tall as he was on four legs. the fur was scarlet with some orange hues, and its tusks were glowing a pale white on the forest. it was still morning, but the density of the forest allowed a very restrictive amount of sunlight through the trees, enough that a flashlight trail could be easily spotted, and one could see the trail of light if pointed at any given direction.
The gigantic boar exhaled sharply and fixed him with a strong gaze, that of an animal that has found an intruder on its territory, this can could get nasty, wild boars have a severe temperament and will choose violence if they feel threatened by anything at all. Richard was currently unarmed and only had his basketball shorts, his jersey and a pair of sneakers he had one last night playing basketball. The boar appeared to have made up its mind and steadily approached with footsteps heavy enough that the thudding sound would have you believe you were in front of a giant moose you'd see from the comfort of your own home in one of those wild nature programs.
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"You got to be kidding me, right?" I thought to myself as the monstrous boar approaches me with violent intent. I am not a animal expert but with wild animals but you can tell when a wild animal doesn't want you as part of the living. the bloodlust is reals as I can feel the muscles in my legs, stomach and neck stiffen at the mass of muscle that is approaching me.
There is a massive boar in front of me and I honestly do not know what to do. it's inhaling and exhaling with ferocity as it wants to ready its circulation of oxygen in his blood to charge at me at any moment. I've been hunting deer before with my old man before and sometimes we even hunted a Elk which is already a massive animal but this guy here. It's a boar and no boar should stand taller than a Grizzly bear on four legs. Those occasions were rare though as it was one of the few moments, we couldn't overcome our father and he took us off the grid for a while due to his love for hunting. something about the primal feeling of acquiring your own food without having to buy it and processing it ourselves.
I take out a pepper spray i carry all the time on my shorts no what i would normally want to carry. it's an old habit I developed after my parent's worried for not only my, but my sister safety asked to carry one at all times in case i find myself in an altercation. they don't think confrontation is a good thing and they prefer it if we ran away instead of fighting would be attackers. that said how useful could this be against that thing. I got to do something, if that boar charges at me a few broken bones would be a good ending. Most likely i would instantly die and my remains would be scattered like confetti by that thing on this forest. That's not the way i want to go to the afterlife.
[Rip]
I keep reminiscing of the past as I take off my jersey and shred it enough to make it one who fabric almost like a blanket or a flag.IT hurts to shred my favorite jersey but this is my survival we are talking about here and I'm going to try something I shouldn't, but it may be one way out. As obsessed as I am with machines and electronics one experience can actually come in handy here. my time with the mechanical bull in Texas is going to come in handy. As it happens Dad was fond of hunting wild hogs there since they're a pest for the farmers since they eat everything in their sights. Dad always loved using all of his guns on live prey and there was no better target than the wild hogs of Texas, that said none were as big as this boar here.
"Come now"
I said as daringly as I could as I could feel endless amounts of sweat on my back and palms. I'm going to kill this thing. I'm not dying on some unknow forest. I continue to think as I can feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins already. it's as if my body know what kind of stupid shit I am about to pull.
[SQUEEAL]
The board let out a nightmarish wild pig sound so high pitched that I thought both of my ears would explode. The massive boar started making gestures with its head, swaying it from side-to-side snorting heavily making the many dead leaves on the ground whip up in a small storm that send them flying in a frenzy to its sides as if there was a small propulsion engine that just went off.
[SNOORT]
The boar exhaled again and then came charging at me at full speed digging into the ground with its feet carving a path towards me. I moved to the side in a surprising stride I had no idea I was able to pull.
{SQUEAL]
The boar turns around angrily before letting out another screech. It's quite angry I have dodged the incoming charge and now it's eyeing me warily.it makes up its mind and charges at me again.
I can feel every muscle in my body loosening as if to signal the fight or flight mechanism, I can feel my adrenaline making me feel much lighter than I am.as the gigantic boar charges at me I quickly extend the shirt on my hands and spray it with pepper spray.
some of the smell got to the boar due to its aggressive snorting of air into it's lung and now it's sneezing wildly but it isn't stopping.
[Crash]
Once again, I moved out of the way and make my way over to the boar. the boar let's out another high pitch screech and runs towards me sneezing furiously letting out snot all over its nose and tusks. I immediately jumped to its back and proceed to use its heavy breathing to my advantage. I bring the cloth to the nostrils of the boar and pull tightly as to suffocate it or at the very least trigger a overheat and kill it from a heart attack.
I am now atop of the wild boar and I'm hanging by my dear life doing something quite preposterous. surprisingly I don't feel I will be shaken off and I can feel my strength holding the boar head in place as its struggling to breathe as it trashes wildly from side to side, crashing into other neighboring trees.
"I got you now!" I screamed with a ferocious grin on my face I couldn't see nor feel it creep in
at the moment.
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---Raksha POV
"I smell a distinct smell approximately 200m in that direction, it must the humans."
[Sniff}
I take in the air into my lungs as i move about in the forest. I know the smell of my people and other demi humans and that isn't it. it's clearly something else and I can bet my favorite book that the smell comes from a human.
[THUD]
[THUD}
[THUMP]
As I advance at a ferocious speed as I kick from one tree to the other jumping from a branch into the next, I keep feeling a strong odor that's making my eyes water.
"Strange it's only one. I also smell a boar I don't want to fight no stinking animal."
[tsk]
I clicked my tongue in frustration as i imagine how I would interact with the humans or human in this case. I wonder if that person is lost or exiled. In either one, we can get useful information for our village and i can know what goes on in human society. I've seen so called noblewomen wearing such exuberant clothes that i can't hide my envy.
I've always wondered how would i look in such fancy clothes, but I don't understand why the humans push us away. we aren't that different from each other. that human must know the answer to all of my questions.
As I think such things, I muttered to myself as i ran in the forest occasionally kicking to and from trees at a fast rate. I can't let my sister and mother get to the humans first. They're a bunch of brutes who rarely ask questions and just proceed to violence.
[I'm sure big sis would just outright kill them, and Mother Rhea is just the same. They have no tolerance for humans]
I keep moving at a extreme speed since i didn't want to wait. I want to contact the outside world. I'm not spending my life dedicated to some village in the middle of nowhere. I'm going to leave and see the world.
[Fueh]
A strange sound escaped my mouth as i rest a top of a tree looking ahead of me towards an unbelievable sight that came into view. there is a human riding a scarlet boar with no clothes in it's torse. the human is strange, short hair and has no breasts. that's weird, she doesn't seem to have any scars that would make me think she lost them in a fight with neither monster or human. it's as if they've never been there in the first place. somehow i can't take my sight from that human. why though, that human is muscular sure but doesn't have any curvatures women have and it's clearly different.
[Badump, badump, badump]
"Am I excited?" I place my right hand at my chest and my chest is pounding loudly. I may not be as adventurous as my other family members but I'm not as out of shape enough that a mild race in the woods would rile me up this much. I'm sure what I'm feeling it's excitement.
Having heard my own question and notice the direction my thoughts were racing I see a young human. the human is riding on the scarlet boar holding a cloth on the nostrils of the boar and it's smells awful. it makes me tear up and I am about 6 meters away. his skin a very white and pinkish flushed. why is that exciting me? am i some kind of pervert?... No way.
[Squeeeal]
The boar sound muffled but very tired.
[swish, swish, swish]
before i knew it my tail was moving excitedly from side to side as i saw this human doing something to the boar. i don't know what he is doing but the boar is moving sluggishly from side to side.
[Crash]
The boar has collapsed. Incredible! I've never seen a hunter kill prey by tiring it out riding it and asphyxiating it at the same time. the boar has passed out but isn't quite dead. I see the human is also tired on his knees panting. should i go help? It's terribly inefficient but it is his kill after all.
there is a piece of metal shining in the distance from where he is at.
[Thud]
He stomped his foot in front and got up, the human is approaching the metallic thing, probably a remnant of a human carriage from long ago when a couple of humans were chased out of our lands. If the humans don't want us on their land, then why should we be hospitable to them or so went the logic according to my mothers. I think such actions further fuel the divide between our races though. I would have tried an approach before running them out of the forest.
what is he doing though, the boar is still alive. that little metal like rod fragment isn't going to through the boars hide like my sword will, If the human doesn't kill it all the work will be in vain.
the human is approaching the boar with the rod thing. what is that human doing?
[Strike]
"Wooow"
Did that human just push that rod through the eye socket? No way, brain injury? the boar has stopped breathing, but a fountain of blood is spraying from the eye socket. It's kind of disgusting but that meat will be good. I bet the tribe that human belongs to will be proud of that kill.
Enough observing. My sister and mother could be observing from anywhere. I should be firm.
"You there, human! That was an impressive kill. terribly inefficient but it's your kill and it's quite sizeable too. your tribe will be very happy with you"
I yell out in a firm voice while I land from the top of the tree and directly make eye contact with the human. I do keep a hand on my blade hanging on my right side just in case.
[Thud]
"Woah!"
The human shrieks and appears startled, turns towards me swiftly but! stiff. His eyes open wide looking at me with disbelief. The human is staring at my ears and my tail with curiosity. rude, have the humans never told their kids not to stare at other races.... although i am staring at his chest and the abs, they look quite refined.... Fine, I'll let it go.
"What! you've never seen my kind before? have your mothers never told you not to stare at strangers." I said in annoyance towards the human, that said i didn't direct any hostility toward the human.
the human stands straight at my rough tone but the human tilts their head?
"Mothers?"
the human mutter with confusion. That's the part that confuses you? no perhaps this human is an orphan of some sort.
"I am sorry! I didn't know your parents were dead. I didn't mean to presume and be insensitive towards those without parents." I sincerely apologized. It seems the world is harsh to all of us the same including the humans. there are orphans on our village too.
[???]
The human looked even more confused and stared blankly at me as they're looking at a crazy person. after a few seconds the human open his mouth almost frantic.
"Orphan? me! no way where you got that idea from?"
The human almost shouted in disbelief. Areh? did I screw up somewhere? No, I don't think so. I am sure i am not the one in the wrong. are all humans this complicated. This might be troublesome.
"Don't look so surprised. I asked you for your parent's and you tilted your head. I'm not dense, even i know that when people move their heads like that it's a sensitive topic." I nod to myself showing the human I can read the room.
"How's that eh? Impressed? I've been reading a interesting book regarding reading the ambience of a conversation. I'm quite amazing if I say so myself. be in awe human.
The human looks even more baffled than before and has a confused look on her face as if she is talking to a weird creature. it's ticking off a little bit, here i am talking to her casually not threatening her and I am trying to speak to her trying to learn about human society. I am showing that my kind is very much civilized or at the very least that I am.
"Wait what?" muttered the human.
Thats it. I'm done playing nice. It's time to turn the screws a little bit. heh heh! As I am thinking such foolish things the human comes to and speaks very much in a venting manner.
"What's going on here? why is there a giant boar in this place? where the hell am i and why're you wearing wolf ears on your head. am i being pranked? I'll sue you know. If i was kidnapped and brought here due to some kind of game i am going to sue."
ranted the human with a lot of frustration. looking at me with some hostility. What it's the matter with this human. I'm being nice you know and I'm the bad person?
"Did i look like i wanted to fight that oversized boar there to you? huh!? I don't think so girl. I almost died and turned into confetti never to be seen again due to that monster there. I want to talk to your supervisor."
continued the human. What's a supervisor and what this about a prank? isn't she a huntress sharpening her skills with inefficient but brutal tactics?
"Go ahead and call me a Karen! I don't care" huffed the human as if vexed by my communication attempts.
So her name is Karen? I see. that sounds like a human name.
"I see, So your name is Karen? I see Nice to meet you Karen, my name is Raksha"
The human stared at me with dead eyes and shouted.
"My name is Richard! Not Karen. Can't you tell that Karen is a woman's name? I'm very clearly a guy!" yelled the human.
"So much for showing such smugness about being able to read the room huh! As you can clearly see I'm a man" finished Richard.
So, the name is Richard then why did the human say Karen? Also, what's a man?
"What's a man?" I muttered in all honesty. This human is not making any sense to me at all. Are all humans this complicated?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--Richard's POV--
Richard was flabbergasted. he did not know if he was being pranked or this girl with wolf ears was being serious. who replies to a meme that everyone and their grandmother should know with a serious and earnest face.
Wait. Her animal ears are twitching, they don't look like props to me and her tail has been swishing for a little bit like when a dog is impatient or curious. No way, Am i really not back in earth?
I was so absorbed trying not to die. I don't even know how i killed that boar, but this girl can take me to a civilization of sorts right. there is no way i can even properly prepare that thing there and i don't have any water. however, let's say i am in another world why doesn't she know what a man is? where is her dad? Is her mom one of those single mothers that hate the dad so much that they make it look like he is dead?
No, no way. I shake my head with vexation clearly written on my face. she said something about mothers, does this mean these girls moms are lesbians but that wouldn't really make a village right? she genuinely doesn't seem to know what a man is? could this be one of those where men don't exist but how do they procreate then?
my mind raced furiously as the girl watches my every move with upmost attention. What do i do? If i lie it won't end well for me. these animal features must mean that these being retain some sense of discomfort to lies which would mean lying would make me suspicious like some sort of spy and i am not about to find out if human rights are a thing in this world the hard way.
Lying to these people might make them go feral on me. this isn't a game or some anime where the girls are dimwitted with cotton candy for brains with a dense protagonist, having said that, animal ear are justice, they look so cute twitching and moving. I wonder if they're as fluffy as my dogs. Rather her jugs are massive. I've been so preoccupied with my situation and the life and death struggle with the boar that i hadn't found the time to stare but those milkers look delicious.
No No No No! I shake my head as if to shake this lust filled thoughts. IF she and/or her kind retain animalistic qualities and can detect subtleties of a person emotions and desires or at least intent then seeing her like that will probably not end well.
If that's the case I got to wear a serious face and respond in kind. but first...
"Um, Raksha you said your name was right? Uh like I said earlier my name is Richard, Richard Monroe. I'm currently lost, and I wouldn't mind some help you see. I could share my kill there as payment and show of goodwill as transaction payment. I could explain my situation in a better location that in the middle of a dangerous forest." I say as I uneasily look around me expecting some other monster of some kind laying in ambush. that massive boar has in alert.
Raksha was about to speak when a loud noise startled me.
[Thud!!]
"Interesting. I've never seen such a talkative human before. I've been keeping tabs on ya with mom Raksha. She and I were looking at the reason why you would just be quite the chatterbox with a human no less Raksha. I'm a huntress ya know, You didn't really think Mom and me would have been lost in your dust as you took off without saying a word" ????
A massive woman of 200Cm tall landed from a massive tree. She is looking at me like some kind of prey. there is a glint in her eyes and a mixture of both curiosity and bloodlust mixed in there. She is muscular enough to make most men feel like a small woman in her presence, but her features aren't masculine. she has a exotic vibe to her, she is muscular but retains her feminine features but isn't as endowed as Raksha here.
just like the girl named Raksha, this woman also has wolf ears and a tail covered in silver fur. If it wasn't because her presence is so suffocating, I would be saying some sort of retort right about now.
As pretty as she might be, this woman is dangerous. That much i can tell. On her eyes I can go from a amusing existence to a unneeded one.
"Big Sis Shima! You got it wrong! I simply wanted to get some information from this human. As you can see he doesn't seem hostile. We can finally learn why humans attack us without warning and treat us the way they do. That's a necessity right, our tribe can't be ignorant of the outside world."
Frantically ranted Raksha to her older sister in a attempt to explain herself. she seemed frenzied. Like i thought this woman is dangerous. my life hangs in the balance in such negotiations.
I got to say something.
"Lady Shima, I can Call you that right?"
[Nod] she nods and asks me to keep going with her chin. All the while she has her stare fixed on my torse for some reason. I don't mind being looked at by a beautiful woman though so it's alright.
"I'm not hostile to you or your people. I'm simply lost and need help. I can offer my kill there as a token of friendship to you. As i have told your younger sister, I'm called Richard Monroe. I simply need to get my bearings and know where I am"
"Monroe? Huh? A second name? Are you some kind of noble kid?" Said Shima with a gruff voice. As she gives me a reevaluates my worth with a unknown kind of look. I don't know what to make of that look, but I feel slightly uneasy.
"Taking you in isn't going to bring trouble to my people now, is it?" Shiman fixed me with a sharp gaze probing for lies. this is bad, of course nobles exist on this world cause why the hell not. I should have kept my last name undisclosed.
"Your kind isn't very friendly to us demi humans and on the contrary are quite hostile. You might have worth to the humans but to us, you might bring danger to us" said Shima with hostility radiating from her body as if ready to pounce at any moment.
[Thud]
"That's enough Shima! You're scaring the kid. I detect no lies from him and furthermore I just heard something interesting just now. You there Richard is what you're called right?, You claim you are a man right?" ???
""Mother Rhea!"" exclaimed Shima and Raksha at the same time. they both fixed their postures and have a stiff look on their face.
a Woman slightly shorter than Shima landed from the tree next to the one Shima had landed. She is wearing some kind of robe. This woman looks older like middle age but the energy she is letting out is the real deal. her apparent age is of no issue for her to move the way she does.
unlike Shima and Raksha, this Rhea woman has jet black fur and piercing yellow eyes like she is staring directly into your very soul.
I say slightly shorter, but she is 185cm and is a bit taller than me who is 180cm. I'm feeling a little vexed seeing more than one woman with taller stature than me. Is this how short men feel? I must apologize for having called them midgets if i can get out of this situation that is and go back home.
Although Raksha, keeps looking at me and she look like about 175cm so her presence lets me keep a bit of my manly pride. As i think of this nonsense. Shima adresses her mother.
"Mother what's this about a man? and clearly, he is some kind of noble. This human will get our village in trouble. Look at his tattered clothes, even ripped they're clearly well made. no way this isn't some sort of rich kid and no armor to boot in the middle of our forest no less." continued Shima.
"Silence" said the woman named Rhea without taking her gaze off me and for some reason my chest. Right, I'm naked above the waist so of course I'll look like some kind of lunatic on the forest without some kind of gear. In my defense it's not like I planned this trip to this damn forest.
"You there Richard. You some kind of Noble or spy working for the humans?" asked Rhea as she let out mind boggling amount of blood lust seep out of her body, she might be not as tall as Shima but she is the real deal. she might be far more dangerous than Shima is going by how pale her complexion is and Raksha is on her knees struggling to breathe.
I can feel my legs trembling. Holy shit this woman is bestial. I am doing all i can not to pass out.
"No Ma'am" I replied with all my might.
"I am no such thing. I'm simply a lost man in these woods and I humbly ask for your aid" I declared on one knee looking at her on the eye to convey that i am no liar while showing that i don't plan on attacking, not that i have the means to mind you.
"Very well!" said Rhea and letting her bloodlust subside from the area and i got a clean breath of air.
"Shima he isn't lying. We will leave this matter to your mother Pam. She'll know what to do, we can't simply solve our problems by cleaving this human's neck from his body." said rhea.
"Not this time at least" she continued with a grin on her face.
A shiver went down my spine as the woman said that nonchalantly like talking about removing dust from her favorite vase with a brush. If i wasn't of interest, I would be dead there is no mistaking it.
"Follow me" said Rhea.
"You there Raksha. You walk along our guest. you befriended him now he is under your care and you're to keep him company." continue Rhea
"He is under your care, Got it?" Rhea pressed seriously.
"Yes Mother!" saluted Raksha with a stiff but joyful expression on her pretty face. Out of the nowhere I feel like a hunted rabbit, people are discussing what to do with me like i am some sort of belonging.
"Shima!, You keep an eye on the lookout and see that no humans are tailing us. That much you know right?" said rhea on a sarcastic tone.
"Also, Bring back that boar to the village. Richard here has declared it a gift to us for helping him after all." she continued as she eyed the massive boar, I felled with that metal stick that i found in the forest. rather convenient if you ask me.
"You don't have to tell me twice mother" said Shima on a rough displeased voice as she jumped at astounding speed towards the treetops at a incredible speed while making away with the boar.
"Wow" I exclaimed with admiration.
"She just jumped and made out with that monster like it's nothing" I commented in awe.
Rhea and Raksha eyed me with some curiosity as to what I found so surprising as we made way to their village.
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