I''ve been feeling a lot more creative lately, and I'm progressing more on my writing skills and style. Still, I'm not as good as many of the other writers around here, and I can only write unrelated, chapter-length short stories, and this thread is where I plan to post any that I write about Felarya.
Watch What You Say
"I didn't mean anything by it!!"
As the sunlight shone through the high treetops of an area of Tolmeshal Forest, the ambience of the trees was cut by the noise of an argument. A small group consisting of five human males, accompanied by a male neko, was making its way westward toward Jewel River. Or rather, it had been, before a certain comment caused it to stop.
"That doesn't matter," the neko exclaimed, "you don't just go around calling people stuff like that, even if they are different from you!"
This neko wore a large, deep-green shirt with white bands and oversized, kimono-esque sleeves, and well-fitting, beige cloth pants, which also sported white bands. His hair was a golden blond, wavy and sticking out in places, and his eyes were a youthful green. The fur on his ears and tail were a healthy brown sporting white tips. The neko's name was Naharou Ikutsuki - most just called him "Nyaha" - and he'd been guiding the group of human men through the jungle towards Jewel River.
"I said I was sorry, okay?!" shouted one of the men. "Why is it such a big deal?!"
This man was, by appearance, the youngest of the group. He seemed more worn-out than the other four men, likely because they made him carry most of the luggage, and in his fatigue, the young man had called his guide something Nyaha found offensive. Now, with each moment that the neko was not guiding them to their destination, the other four men became more impatient and more contemptive of their young comrade for having caused their progress to halt.
As the young man and neko argued, a female naga with long brown hair and green eyes and scales slithered nearby and heard their commotion. She could also smell the six of them. "Five human males and a...male neko," she thought to herself. "Wait! A male neko-- and that voice! It's definitely him!" The naga's face took on an expression of excitement as she followed her senses toward the group.
As the argument continued, the four older men were getting more anxious to get moving before something dangerous showed up. Just then, their fears were confirmed when they saw a naga slither up behind Nyaha. The younger man also noticed the predator, and his expression changed from frustration to fear. Unfortunately, Nyaha was ranting about respectful communication ethics and didn't notice any of this. As he talked on, the naga spread her arms wide, grinning with excitement.
"NYAHAAA!!" the naga shouted joyously, embracing the neko from behind. Nyaha, taken by surprise, emitted a cat-like yelp before looking over his shoulder to see who had so rudely interrupted him. It turned out to be Beryl, one of the first non-neko friends he'd made since leaving Nekomura Village. Nyaha made a happy mewing sound before greeting her with a friendly, "Hiya, Beryl!"
As the two misfits hugged eachother as if they'd been separated at birth, the group of men stared at them, all wearing the same clueless expression on their face. Did the fact that their guide was friends with something that would normally be his predator mean that they were safe, or would they be sorry?
"So, how're ya' doing?" Nyaha asked his friend.
"Not so bad," Beryl replied. She then eyed the group of humans behind Nyaha and said, "A little hungry, though." On that cue, the youngest member of the group opened his mouth and, as he had earlier that day, quietly spoke his mind to the rest of the group: "I think it wants to eat us!"
Beryl heard this comment, as did Nyaha, and was insulted. "Hey, who are you calling "it"?!" she demanded threateningly. Nyaha was also upset as he had been earlier, saying, "I know, right? That's exactly what he called me, too!"
Having a hungry predator mad at him is all the incentive a human needs to get him running for his life, and those five men were no exception. The four older men each attempted to escape on his own, and the younger one followed suit after them with a "Hey, wait for me!" Unfortunately, an angry, hungry naga is not an easy thing to escape from, and Beryl quickly rounded up each and every one of them, catching the youngest one last. She held them at her mercy in the coils of her powerful tail, and the men all waited anxiously for their end. But nothing happened. Why weren't they dying yet?
It seems the youngest man had opened his mouth again. This time he pointed out the fact that they were being guided by the neko. To their unanimous surprise, this actually seemed to have stopped, or at least slowed down, their demise. In actuality, Beryl was concerned with what Nyaha might be thinking. She still wasn't sure how he'd feel about watching his someone eat people in front of him. "Hey, Nyaha, you don't mind if I eat these guys, right?" she asked him curiously.
Nyaha's response was somewhat surprising. "Didn't you say that you like to eat things small, like tinies?" Nyaha wasn't concerned about the humans. Sure, it woulda' been nice to help them out all the way, but if he did that now, Beryl might be upset. Good thing he usually tried to avoid relationships with humans for this exact reason.
"Yeah, usually," Beryl answered. "But sometimes people need to be punished, otherwise they never learn." She grinned maliciously at the youngest man, who, seeing this, let out an audible gulp.
"Well, I got just the thing, then!" Nyaha said enthusiastically. He reached into the left sleeve of his shirt and pulled out a small, clear glass bottle containing a blue liquid. He then removed the cap of the container and, holding it in his sleeve-covered hand, carefully poured a single drop of the liquid on each man's head. Then, one after the other, each of them began to shrink out of their clothes, all stopping at about three inches in height. Confined by Beryl's wall-like tail, they were all too surprised and afraid to even scream, and all they could do was wait to be eaten.
Beryl, on the other hand, was delighted, and squealed, "Wow! Nyaha, that's awesome!"
Nyaha was glad he'd made his friend so happy. "Thanks," he replied. Now, not only would the rude human learn a lesson, but his friend would be nice and full. "And thank you," Beryl said before looking down on her prey. "Now, which of you will I eat first?"
Beryl decided that the rude one would have to be last, not only to endure the anxiety of watching the other four get eaten, but also so that the first four would be mad enough to cause a good commotion inside her. She leaned down and snatched up one of the other four little men and effortlessly raised him to her face. The small man began pleading for his life; Beryl thought this was just too cute. She had to eat him before it became too distracting, and the man soon found himself sliding down Beryl's throat. The other three oldest men soon followed - one tried sucking up to Beryl and shamelessly put-down the youngest member of their group, the next cursed down at the young man for causing all this trouble right up until he entered his predator's mouth, and the last offered to be Beryl's slave in exchange for his life.
"I already have your life, silly," Beryl answered the last man. She then tossed him up and down in her hand before popping him into her mouth and swallowing him. Nyaha grinned as he sat on the ground watching his friend devour each man one after the other. "You enjoy this too much," he teased.
Beryl licked her lips after swallowing the fourth one, then said, "You're one to talk. Are all nekos this comfortable with watching someone eat people?" Nyaha gave his reasoning in a straightforward manner. Reason one, it feels good to help out your hungry friends; reason two, he doesn't like being called "it". He kept his third reason in his mind, though: he secretly likes watching his friends eat people.
"I think you enjoy this too much," Beryl teased back. Nyaha froze for a moment, but Beryl didn't notice, as she had turned her attention back to her meal. Finally, Beryl held the the last one, the young man who'd insulted her and Nyaha, up to her face. "This is what you get when you call people "things"!" she told him sternly. And with that, she lifted him up over her head and opened wide, giving the frightened young man a clear view of the wet cavern that had claimed the other four men before him. At the same moment that Beryl dropped him in, the young man broke down and began screaming hysterically. Beryl was caught by surprise by this, and she left her mouth open for a moment after the small man had landed on her tongue. But as he tried to escape, Beryl came to her senses and closed her mouth, licking and sucking on the small man while listening to his muffled screams. She then swallowed him, and his screams seemed to stop completely.
Beryl patted her stomach contentedly. "Serves him right," she said.
"It's too bad, though," Nyaha said empathetically, "he could've had so much to live for." Nyaha and Beryl looked at each other for a moment with blank expressions, then mused "Nah!" in unison before leaving the area in search of something else to do.
THE END
Watch What You Say