PREDATORS
by Chimera Bloom
Part 2
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The warrior tightly shut away in the bedroom, heard the door to her suite open and close with a careful softness. She had to smile, Elila wasn't used to living with cats. No amount of cautious finesse could ever quiet her actions enough to go unnoticed by a changeling.
But Kellis didn't mind the gentle waking. She was glad to know that the girl had returned safely. She waited patiently for Elila to make her way back to their bed. But after several minutes passing and no sign of the girl, the warrior went to look for her.
She didn't have to go far. She found Elila stretched out on the couch with a blanket tightly wrapped around her obviously exhausted body. The girl didn't know she was there. And Kellis could tell from her flustered movements and short breath that she was far from reaching a peaceful sleep.
Kellis simply stared at her lost in thoughts at the night's events. She could tell Elila was still fighting off whatever demon had plagued her dreams. Her brow was furrowed, her jaw was clenched and her fists were tightly clutching the blanket held around her body. Elila was normally the perfect picture of dark beauty. But tonight, she looked desperate and hurt.
But the raven-haired beauty wouldn't let her help. And she wasn't sure what to do. There were only the loose bonds of friendship between them. And if she wasn't careful, she could easily overstep them. And Kellis didn't want that. She knew all too well what that would mean.
Elila's parents were already salivating at the thought of a marriage between their daughter and the village's strongest warrior. And she knew Elila herself had given the idea of their union several lengthy thoughts. Of course, the girl had never said anything but she didn't have to. She could tell by the long stares cast at her body when Elila thought wasn't looking. She could hear the slight increase in the maiden's pulse whenever their bodies were near. And she could smell the heavy pheromones swirling all around the girl every time she passed by.
She would never confront Elila about her private thoughts. The girl always acted with the perfect modicum of courtesy and decorum whenever they were together. She never acted inappropriately or made her feelings known. So Kellis let her obvious attraction pass by without a word.
Besides, the warrior knew there would be time for such things later. She did care deeply for the girl. Elila was the only female she had ever been a simple friend to. Every other woman in her life had passed in and out of her bed without any dialogue along the way. And the warrior had always been quite happy with that arrangement.
But Elila was different. They actually talked and spent time together without a single act of sexual contact. It was just so easy being in the company of the girl. Elila was amicable, kind, humorous and interesting. At times, the girl seemed to blend right in as a near sibling.
Although it was rare for the warrior to forget for any length of time that Elila was most certainly a woman. The girl's dark and mysterious looks saw to that. Despite that fact that half of her parentage was jungle cat, Elila received most of her obvious traits from her mother's swamp lineage. Elila showed off her heron heritage in a seductive display of beauty and elegance. Contrary to most people in their village, Elila had jet-black hair, green eyes, and the palest white skin Kellis had ever seen. Her lips were large and the softest pink. Kellis couldn't help but imagine what it would be like to gently slip her tongue through the pink swollen mouth. Her obvious heron genetics made it difficult not to notice her in a village filled with flaxen haired, golden-eyed women. Some people thought she looked odd or silly with her darker looks and thinner body. But Kellis had traveled enough to recognize beauty of all kinds. And she was most certainly attracted to the raven looks of the maiden.
But despite her growing affection and lusty attraction to the girl, Kellis was far from ready to make a commitment. And Elila was the village Alpha's daughter. She couldn't just have a bit of fun with the girl and then move onto the next. If she wanted to be with Elila she would have to be ready for the long-term. And Kellis wasn't. The warrior still had far too many battles to fight and beds to visit to even think about being tied down with a wife and children.
When the wanderlust and sexual cravings had faded from her system, she would make her pledge and marry the woman lying before her. She did want to marry Elila. She had even told the Alpha of her plans. But it was universally understood that this was in the distant future. Kellis wasn't ready to be Elila's mate, not yet anyways. But someday she would be ready. And she would make Elila the happiest woman in the entire village.
But until that day came, she would have to hold the girl at her arms length. Even when it appeared Elila needed a much closer touch. With thoughts of the future dancing through her mind, the warrior knelt down next to the now sleeping girl. She kissed Elila softly on the cheek trying not to disturb her with the warm brush of her lips. And without a backward glance, Kellis retreated to the bedroom alone, determined to keep a healthy amount of space between her and the maiden.
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The rising of the sun brought the commencement of the Gallion. And by the time Elila managed to awaken, the day's events were already well underway. The girl rolled over on the narrow couch nearly tossing herself right onto the floor. And after a few moments of disorientation, Elila realized that she was very much alone.
That in itself didn't really surprise her. Since Kellis was competing in the championship she knew the warrior would need to leave their rooms with the breaking of day. But everything seemed so different in the afternoon sun. There rooms had this creepy silence permeating the walls that made her miss the soft noises of the swamp.
She stood straightening her clothes and feeling her exhaustion. Her sleep last night could hardly be categorized as restful. And her body was suffering the effects. Elila's thoughts were centered solely on the acquisition of breakfast in any form, when she happened to walk past a clock. It was nearly 3PM. She couldn't believe how late she slept, how tired she still felt, and how tardy she was going to be.
Rushing through the suite she hurriedly pulled her hair back madly wiping the sleep from her face. She rushed through the bedroom trying to find something to put on besides the mud-stained dress she was currently wearing. And after a few quick bites of a stale cookie, she ran all the way to the Emporium.
The Gallion was a site to behold as she hurriedly stalked up to the gate entrance. The Emporium that held it each year was the largest structure in the entire world. It was a stadium equipped to sit spectators from every tribe all over the planet. It contained rows and rows of seats that were impossible for the naked eye to count. And the arena where the warrior's battled was the largest field Elila had ever set her eyes on. But none of the sights even compared to the noise. Elila could hear the screams and shouts from spectators just by standing next to the structure. She imagined that once inside their screams would surely pierce her ears with a deafening thunder.
The stadium was surrounded by bright brilliant flags of every color and size proudly waving in the light day's breeze. Her eyes searched through the colors trying to find the ones that she would recognize. She saw the flag of her parent's tribe, the Fasara, with its gold trim and black markings that formed the symbol of the jungle cats. But no matter how she stared she couldn't find the flag of the swamp. And it bothered her. The swamp was a part of the Kingdom just like any other tribe; she didn't see why it didn't deserve a flag. Rationally, she knew of course that the swamp hadn't been invited to attend the Gallion in centuries. The swamp was considered a loose band of miscreants that had no honor and took part in whatever devious pleasure that came their way. But the swamp was her home and she couldn't help but take such an obvious slight a bit personally.
"There you are!" Elila turned hearing a friendly voice call out to her from the gatekeeper's line. Her best friend Yamina was patiently waiting for her. Elila took one look at Yamina's appearance and began to feel self-conscious. Yamina was proudly wearing all of their tribe's colors. Even her face was painted to match the jungle cat insignia.
And besides her friend's obvious display of tribal pride, Yamina looked like she had put hours of care into creating her look. Her long dirty blonde hair had been neatly plaited into an ornate display. Her make-up was filled with bright red and green hues expertly applied to her golden skin. And her long black and gold dressed showed off all her best features. Yamina was a descendant of pure jungle cat lineage and her body showed it. Unlike Elila with her lithe frame and wispy features; Yamina was curvy and round with a tall high breast line, rounded hips, and smooth wide thighs. Sometimes, Elila couldn't help but envy her friends soft female body.
"Hey… Sorry… Have you been waiting long?" Elila looked down at her own attire. She looked nice for someone who had only just woken up moments ago. But she certainly wasn't representing her tribal loyalty with her dark lavender dress. Yet, she couldn't help but think that it didn't matter. She would probably look very silly if she had dressed up like Yamina. Anyone who took one look at her knew she wasn't a jungle cat. And she was terribly tired of having to explain that she was only have cat, when her body looked like it had just risen from the very marshes of the swamp.
"Nope, I just got here. What's up? You seem weird." Yamina commented noticing the spacey look in her friend's normally vibrant emerald eyes.
"I just woke up. I'm tired and hungry." Elila answered moving through the gate line with Yamina closely behind her.
"You just woke up??? You missed all the morning events?" Yamina questioned rather loudly. She knew the kind of trouble Elila was in for. Her parents had sent their daughter in their absence. Elila should have been here in dawn's early morning to cheer for all the jungle cat warriors. Elila's tardiness would be scene as grave disrespect, especially to her alpha Thash, the village ruler.
"I know. I had an awful night." Elila answered wandering through the crowded halls of the Emporium looking for their seats.
"What happened?" Yamina asked concerned a bit uncomfortable with the thronging crowd of people surrounding them.
"I had issues with Kellis." Elila whispered rather vaguely as they past by some women from their tribe. Though they didn't know them, both girls gave them polite nods as they walked by.
"Oh, do tell?" Yamina answered quirking her eyebrows. She knew that Elila had a rather devious interest in a certain golden warrior. And the thought of Elila and Kellis sharing a bed had led to all sorts of improper thoughts.
"It was nothing like that. I had a nightmare." Elila answered pulling Yamina into the only deserted corner she could find. With people bustling in every direction it was quite the accomplishment. But Elila felt reasonably certain of their privacy safely tucked behind the large trash compactors.
"A nightmare?" Yamina asked a bit confused at first.
"Yeah, you know what I mean…" Elila trailed off knowing that she wouldn't have to elaborate. Unfortunately, her best friend knew exactly what she meant.
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When Elila had been kidnapped it had been because she was the Alpha's daughter. But three other women had been taken as well. All were relatives of other important members of the Fasara tribal council.
And Yamina had been one of those unfortunate three. Yamina's alpha was the chief treasurer of the tribe. And because of that, she had been kidnapped as well. And both women had suffered the same regrettable fate while in the terrorizing clutches of their captors.
"You were doing so well." Yamina idled knowing how much better her friend had seemed. Yamina didn't know how Elila did it. Elila went through each day with her head held high and a hopeful stare gradually returning to her eyes. It was obvious to anyone who knew the girl that she was suffering greatly. But Elila refused to let it destroy her. She still got up each day with the bold attempt of moving forward into something better.
But Yamina on the other hand hadn't adapted quite so well. She still refused to sleep with the lights off. And she couldn't even stomach the thought of walking by water. Her parents had been so wonderful to her. But no matter how many times they told her it was going to be okay, she just knew it wasn't. Her body had eventually healed from the pain of the attack. But each day, Yamina felt her mind slipping further and further away.
"I know. I don't know what happened. But I woke up screaming. Kellis wanted to know why. And of course, I couldn't tell her." Elila said knowing how much the Alpha's decision to keep a full vow of secrecy had hurt both girls. So many times Elila wanted to climb onto the nearest rooftop and shout out to the entire village what had happened to them. She wanted someone to acknowledge her pain. She wanted people to understand that she was fighting for the very state of her mind. But she was forbidden from uttering a single word. And Elila was growing so very weary of suffering in silence.
"What did you do?" Yamina asked knowing how difficult it had been for her friend to keep the attack from Kellis.
"I left. I just went out." Elila answered hearing the buzzer that signaled the start of the late afternoon rounds. Yamina looked like she had more to say on the subject but now wasn't the time. In silent thought, both girls finally made their way through the crowded and noisy stadium searching for their seats.
As part of the tribal council, Elila and Yamina had a choice view lofted high above the common fans and spectators. They saw a few other familiar people from their tribe as they passed by. But none greeted the two girls; Elila and Yamina weren't widely liked. It bothered Yamina more then the raven-haired girl seated next to her. Elila had an excuse for her rather unpopular reputation. The Alpha had done the unthinkable when she had married a woman not of jungle cat heritage. But Tezara had eventually won over the begrudging approval of the tribe. Though of swamp origin, Tezara had light caramel features that helped her to blend in. And Tezara was no friend to her own people. She had proved her allegiance to the jungle cats on more then one occasion.
But Elila was the unlucky offspring of two parents from dire conflicting backgrounds. And unlike her mother, Elila had dark midnight features that made her stand out like a lightning bolt in a tribe of tawny jungle cats. Elila was a constant reminder to the tribe that the Alpha had broken sacred tradition and married a woman from the swamp. Elila had become the quick scapegoat for tribal conflicts of all kinds. And after years of harsh teasing, anger, and outright physical violence her parents did the only thing they could. They sent Elila back to the swamp, gravely concerned for their daughter's safety.
And Yamina knew how happy Elila had been there. It had only been recently that Elila had returned to the Fasara. And it was only under the direst circumstance that the Alpha had sent for her unwelcome offspring.
But there was no such reason for Yamina's universal dislike. She was a pure jungle cat. Her parents were even members of the tribal council. Unlike Elila, there was no blaring reason for people not to like her. She never knew if it was because she was too quiet, too shy, or even just too nervous. She didn't know the reason; all she knew was how very painfully isolated she was.
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Taking her seat, Elila scanned the arena floor noticing that the warriors hadn't taken their places yet. But it wouldn't be long now. The crowd was in an uproar each person cheering madly for their favorite tribe. The next match would be a team event between the ocelots and the panthers. Elila wasn't particularly interested in it but knew her presence was expected, especially after she had already missed so much.
"Nice of you to show up." Elila looked down hearing the irked tones of an all too familiar voice. The much avoided Narlene was obviously annoyed by her late arrival. And Elila couldn't care less. Every tribe had a busy body and Narlene had claimed that title for herself a long while ago.
"I didn't know you were coming." Yamina idled looking at the perfect woman standing before them. Narlene was the epitome of feminine jungle cat beauty. She had the most perfect wavy gold hair, bright yellow eyes, a warm rounded figure, and the creamiest skin Yamina had ever seen. The worst thing was just how perfect Narlene knew she looked. Yamina knew the beautiful girl would have been married long ago if hadn't been for acidic personality. Everyone wanted to bed her; the problem was that no one wanted to stay.
"Of course I came. I am loyal to my tribe. I was here at dawn. I couldn't help but notice that neither of you were here though." Narlene scoffed thinking how undeserving both girls seemed of the tribal council.
"Well, it's been lovely speaking with you Narlene. But the match is about to begin." Elila said quietly not bothering to hide the sarcasm in her voice. Narlene gave them one final leering snarl before turning back around to find her seat in the midst of the crowd.
"I hate her…" Elila whispered not wanting anyone to overhear her unflattering comment.
"I know. I just don't think its possible for her to become more of a bitch if she tried. Why was she here at dawn? She doesn't have family competing in the Gallion. And she's not married." Yamina snapped hating the woman just as much as her friend.
"That's the point. She came to see all the strongest warriors. She has to pick out her mate." Elila answered thinking it odd that Narlene's parents had never successfully married her off. There was no doubt how absolutely beautiful Narlene was. If they could just get her to keep her mouth shut, she could have given them grandchildren by now.
"I can't believe she's been here all day. I didn't even want to come now." Yamina said shifting uncomfortable in her seat. Elila looked at her friend and saw all the worry and shame etched across her features.
"You'll be fine. We both will." Elila said trying to sound reassuring.
"Yeah, I know…" Yamina answered letting her attention fall on the match below. Things were apparently really heating up if the crowd's claps and cheers were any indication. Yamina looked at her friend wishing she had Elila's knowledge of the Gallion. It was only the most important event to warriors all across the globe, but Yamina understood none of it. Her alpha had never bothered to teach her such things.
But it wasn't her lack of knowledge that was bothering Yamina. It was everything else. The roar of the crowd, the heat of the sun, and the closeness of the people were all serving to unsettle her already fragile disposition. Someone from her home had to attend the Gallion. Tribal laws would allow for no less. Her parents just couldn't bring themselves to go. They were peace lovers and such a display of obvious battle lust ruffled all their righteous moral indignations. But Yamina didn't really have an ethical problem with the Gallion itself. So she agreed to go in place of her family.
And now she couldn't help but wonder if that had been a mistake. Since she had been attacked, crowds had bothered her. Loud noises had frightened her. And being around even the most familiar warrior could leave her shaking. The Gallion had all three aspects of her fear running right through its very core.
She looked over at Elila wishing she could posses the girl's calmness and obvious comfort. Elila was paying close attention to the match and clapping in all the right places. Her friend didn't seem to be bothered by any of the elements that had Yamina growing into a steady panic.
"Was that good?" Yamina leaned over asking Elila. She saw all the warriors clearing the arena and heard the loud gong of the buzzer.
"Yeah, that was good." Elila answered laughing a bit at her friend's confusion.
"Why?" Yamina asked figuring that knowledge of the sporting event might actually take her mind off more painful matters.
"Because the panthers held them down at the 4th marker. They totally shut off all their paths of escape." Elila explained not sure how much her friend really understood about the Gallion.
"And why is that good?" Yamina asked still totally confused.
"Because the panthers are our allies. And if they win this round then they can fight with us in the final event. Essentially it just means we get to have more people on our team. Which is good because that means that match gets to double down." Elila answered trying to sum up the events below.
"Why do you know all this?" Yamina asked unable to believe that Elila's parents had taken the time to explain the Gallion. Yamina knew first hand how very little affection there was between the Alpha and Elila.
"Because the Gallion is the most profitable event to bet on. Everyone in the swamp talks about nothing but the Gallion for months. Believe me, I know all the ins and outs of betting on these matches." Elila answered a bit proud of her swamp-born knowledge.
"Hey, when does Kellis compete?" Yamina asked knowing that nothing short of a flood could make her friend miss that.
"In about an hour." Elila answered embarrassed by her knowledge. She had memorized the warrior's schedule like some sort of lovesick child.
"I can't wait." Yamina answered placing a gentle hand on her friends shoulder.
"I'm gonna get some food, do you wanna come?" Yamina asked bored by the sporting event already.
"No, but can you get me some sugar berries? I'm starving." Elila asked not wanting to miss the next round.
"Sure." Yamina answered disappearing into the throng of people. Yamina made her way back to the concession hall and stood in a line about the length of a short eternity. But it didn't really bother her. And since she didn't understand the events going in the arena, she didn't feel like she was missing much. So without another word, Yamina went off in search of food.
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She stood behind unfamiliar people rather content to just gaze off into space, when she heard the laugh of a familiar voice. Turning to the side she saw two women from her tribe eagerly discussion something together. She knew Xalynn only in passing. But Merinae had at one time been a rather close friend. They had gone to school together and had once spent a great deal of time together. When Elila had moved to the swamp Merinae had been her only friend left in the village.
But as friends often do when one gets married, they had fallen out of touch. Yamina envied the broach proudly displayed around Merinae's neck. She began to suspect she would never know the feel of a diamond broach. Her prospects had been poor before the attack. But after, she knew she was destined to live the life of a single woman.
Luckily, Merinae didn't see her. She knew the girl would feel obligated to come greet her. But Yamina was in no mood for forced pleasantries.
The line moved a little which afforded Yamina a wider view of the area around her. And after a few more moments she saw Merinae's mate come join the women. Yamina watched with unhindered jealousy as Yoel placed an affection kiss on her wife's eager lips. The couple looked so happy and peaceful. It was hard for Yamina to believe that Merinae had been with them on that awful night. Merinae had been taken because of her mate. Yoel was the youngest member of the tribal council.
But Merinae didn't even seem uncomfortable when her mate wrapped a strong arm around her waist. It was the quite the contrary. The woman seemed to lean into the touch relishing the contact. Yamina couldn't imagine such a thing and felt her dark green envy double. Merinae had the support of a loving mate to help her through the trauma of the attack. But Yamina didn't have anyone. Sure her parents tried to be there for her but it just wasn't the same.
Deciding that gawking at the happy couple probably wasn't the most polite thing to do Yamina turned her attention back to the line she waited in. The minutes seemed to trickle by as people ahead of her slowly gave their order. She heard continual shouts and claps from the stadium below and knew she should get back. She didn't want to miss Kellis' match.
Finally, after what seemed like a shortened infinity, Yamina began the long walk back out to her seat. She was rounding the last gray corner before the stadium clutching her food firmly in her hands. And it was good thing because the person she ran into shocked her to her very core.
"Oh my, I'm sorry. I have to remember to go slower here." The changeling said lightly touching her arm after their untoward collision. But Yamina couldn't find her voice. She wanted to scream but nothing came out. Her mouth hung wide open and her eyes filled with shock. Standing right before her was the very object of her worst fears. It was a shark changeling. It was a warrior from the Midali tribe, the tribe that had captured her so many months ago.
"Are you okay?" The changeling asked lightly fingering her neck worried that her high speed had caused some kind of damage to the girl. But Yamina couldn't say anything. They stayed like that for several more seconds just staring at each other. Finally, Yamina found the power of motion and ran off towards the relative safety of the stadium.
She pushed her way through the crowd eliciting several complaints and a few return shoves. But she didn't care. She had to get to Elila. Her friend needed to know the danger that they were in.
Elila had been enjoying the fierce action of the sporting event below. Even though she was far from the nearest swamp gambling post, she found it added a certain element to the sport to mentally count up the money exchanged by the action on the arena below. She knew her grandparents well enough to know they had a large sum of money riding on this event. She didn't know the exact figure but she suspected it was enough to make even the wealthiest jungle cat blush. Her grandparents couldn't help it. They were swamp folk born and raised. Betting was in there blood.
And with the sudden turn of events in the match below, she suspected her swamp kin had just made a large sum of money. But Elila had been so caught up in the action below that she hadn't noticed how long her friend had been gone for. She hadn't given much thought to Yamina at all. Not until she saw the girl jump into the seat next to her with a white face and trembling hands.
"What is it?" Elila asked worried. Gently she took the food and drink from the girls hands worried that they would spill from the tremors ripping through Yamina's body.
"They're here…" She managed to gasp out in a tight whisper. The very admission had caused hysteric spasms to tear through the girl's form. Elila glanced around noticing that her friends fear had started to attract the stares of other spectators. But there was nothing she could do. She couldn't very well force Yamina through a crowd of anxious sports fans.
"Whose here?" Elila whispered back wondering what had caused her friends terror. Yamina had experienced frequent panic attacks ever since the kidnapping. But Elila had never seen her go through anything like this.
"The Midali… I ran into one of the warrior's on my way back here." Yamina finally managed to gasp out. Elila looked around trying to spot a shark changeling in the crowd around her.
Normally, the Midali stood out. They were among the tallest of warriors with gray skin and electric blue eyes. And of course, they all had a toothy grin no one could miss. But even with their obvious physical characteristics Elila couldn't see any of them. There were far too many people at the Gallion. Even a shark changeling could blend into the crowd.
"Who was it?" Elila asked worried her friend had run into one of the changelings that had attacked them.
"I don't know. I didn't recognize her." Yamina answered relieved that she hadn't seen one of their captors. Aimlessly running into her rapist would have sent the girl into complete hysteria.
"Okay, well it was probably no one important." Elila said trying to gather herself together. She had known the Midali would be here. Since the peace treaty had been negotiated the Midali had been invited to participate in the Gallion. Elila could even see their dark blue tribal flag waving proudly from all the way across the stadium.
"You knew they would be here?" Yamina asked shocked. She couldn't believe that Elila would consent to go anywhere that the Midali may be.
"Yeah…look!" Elila answered pointing to the tribal flag so recognizable to both girls. Elila and Yamina were intimately familiar with the Midali tribal insignia. They had seen quite a lot of it during their time as hostages.
"Oh my god!!!" Yamina gasped out feeling the beginnings of hyperventilation.
"Hey, don't worry it's okay. The chances that they're here is very slim. The Midali have a very large tribe. There are countless warriors they could have sent. They probably aren't here." Elila whispered trying desperately to calm the girl next to her. Elila knew she didn't need to explain the 'they' she had been referring to. There had been four of them that had taken the girls from their jungle tribe. And those four would never be forgotten; no matter how long either girl lived.
"I have to get out of here." Yamina cried out far too loudly. Her shriek even garnered the notice of Narlene who sent her a dirty stare.
"I have to stay." Elila whispered feeling guilty about sending her obviously distressed friend off on her own.
"That's okay. I'll catch up with you at the Lodge later." Yamina said trying not to break down into hysterics in front of all those people. She pushed through the crowd with a panic-stricken need for space and air. She ran from the Emporium and didn't stop until she was convinced she had put the Midali warrior far behind…
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CONTINUED...