Apologies for the delay on this chapter. I still self edit, I have to work to support myself and.. well life in general. Thanks for all the comments though, and continue to leave them, good or bad, critical or not. I'm writing this for the first time and I'm enjoying it, but I hope my readers are too.
The story is ©UnspunReality(Me), please don't use it or any of its characters. Yadayada.
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Chapter 2
I awoke to darkness again, though this time fear did not grasp me. Memories of the night returned and I merely enjoyed them in my mind for the moment. The reason was quickly evident as I rose up from my position on the floor, groaning some as my body stretched and creaked from the discomfort of having slept on the floor. It wasn't as uncomfortable as it could have been; there was carpeting and I had a pillow, but it was a poor substitute for a bed.
"Finally up I see," came the voice of that temptress, curled up around a pillow just within eyesight of me on the floor. "Hope you slept well. We leave soon." I could hear the mirth in her voice, how she simply found this all amusing despite everything that'd happened.
I still didn't notice it, but the longer and closer we were, the more I affected her. She had aimed to tease me last night, yet moments after she had felt something unusual. I could feel the sting as her nails elongated, piercing my flesh, and it was that sudden pain that shocked us from the moment.
She hissed and I found myself on the floor as she pushed herself roughly away from me. My shoulders ached slightly, the feeling ignorable as I was suddenly concerned with her. Her body having darted back to the furthest corner in the room she could get from me. It was as comedic as it was saddening, seeing this woman cowered before me. Yet something felt nice about it, there was this feeling I couldn't touch on, a part of me that thrived on the scent of fear that permeated the room.
I held my ground, sliding back into my seat as I calmed my heart. Deep breaths in and out, until finally the feeling had passed. She seemed no better though, curled as she was, eyes piercing through to me with a sense of fear and confusion. It was odd to say the least, to see her with the last few inches of her tail grasped tightly in her hands, and her ears flattened as if she had been scolded.
It was another half an hour after that before she finally unfroze, yet she was now more confused than ever. She couldn't explain the sudden feeling aside from having felt like she was on a cliff's edge while next to me and every second that passed was drawing her in, until she finally it felt as if she had jumped off. After that she barely remembered anything aside from feeling afraid and smothered.
That led to this unfortunate situation of myself and the carpet becoming good acquaintances. Luckily it seemed only close proximity was needed between us and so sleep came quickly, if not fitfully. Now it seemed she was back to herself, the hardy women who'd soon be leaving her home on a whim that no one understood.
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Luckily no ceremony or anything of the such was needed, the transfer of head passed with little fanfare. It was only then that I found out Tara had only been leading for a few months, and that their natural solidarity made it so no one truly lasted here long. I was left to think of this as a midway house, a stop in their lives that ensured safety for a time.
We were set to leave around midday, both of us simply taking one pack of some essentials to last us till we met civilization again. Without me the journey could have taken a day at most, but I wasn't a Were or shifter and so we'd leave on foot and hopefully make it before next night fall.
There were a few goodbyes as we left, most of those there coming simply to see her off; I had become somewhat invisible to them and I could almost feel relief at my parting. They did leave us well off though, proper clothing for a hike, and I even was finally given a pair of shoes that finally fit.
We set off then, following the only dirt path off the estate further into the mess of trees and foliage that awaited us.
"So... Where are we headed? I know civilization, but what exactly does that mean?" It was a bit later for this question, as I spoke up only when the path we followed began to disappear, leaving me now entirely to Tara's mercy, as I couldn't navigate worth a damn.
"The city of Kroy. The closest city to here and one of the most populated." She didn't bother to look at me as we walked, trudging ahead stalwartly as she continued to satisfy my curiosity. "I don't know how much you know, but Kroy is a technological city, much unlike where we just left. We prefer nature, and don't care for much else, but Kroy... The use of magic is astounding there, and hopefully we may find more information there. Maybe a magic user who can explain... You." She sighed at that and turned to face me for a moment, as if somehow this might spark some understanding.
The her in front of me was much different from the one before, it seemed like she had less airs here to try and flaunt. It might have something to do with how she was also dressed, a far cry from the dresses I was used to; she was now very much like myself, clad in a faded pair of jeans that failed to hide the curves of her lower body, just loose enough to let her legs breath, but tight enough to hug her thighs and ample rear. Upper half shown off even more, the smooth expanse of her tummy seen, with just the slightest tightness to show off that while she wasn't a twig, she was certainly fit. Every dip and dive exposed, from belly button to her chest, which was covered in a tan tank top, that amazed myself even, with how it managed to hold in her breasts with barely a jiggle.
She cleared her throat then, rolling her eyes at me as she turned and began walking again. "The tree back there is better known as Zildara. I don't know much about it, aside from the fact that nothing is supposed to live there and it's supposed to be perhaps the most ancient thing on this world. The roots extend for miles, it was there that you were found."
I shuddered, it was an unnatural feeling that was apparently unique to me. My Earth had skyscrapers, people trying to out do one another as the buildings went higher and higher. This dwarfed even that, miles away and it colored the backdrop like a mountain, scraping the sky with its expansive canopy. The more we walked and the more it faded did nothing to help the odd feelings I felt.
Despite my misgivings, time passed uneventfully. Some chatter filled the dead air between us, though it was mostly of the differences in our worlds. What amazed me most was the diversity in this world, a place where humans weren't the dominant species. The conversations did nothing to close the space between us though, letting our voices carry through the foliage as we each had to speak louder to be heard over the din of life around us; the chirping of the birds, the crunch beneath our feet and even the whistling of the leaves with every cool breeze.
It wasn't till dusk passed overhead that we finally decided to set up a small camp. It was barely even that, having just chosen a small clearing between a circle of trees to settle down. I felt as if I were being avoided though, each time I moved she made sure to be a certain distance away. I avoided questioning though, instead building the small fire we decided on while she worked to set up our small sleeping bags; as expected each just happened to be opposite each other across my campfire.
Finally I could sit, weary but not as much as I should have honestly been. I left the heating of the food to her, silent as I watched her work just a few feet from me physically yet it felt as if a gulf separated us otherwise. "Why are you so scared of getting closer?" I bluntly asked, not enjoying the idea of beating around the bush.
I could see her stiffen momentarily before she returned to eyeing the small heating pot. "It's not fear, it's something else. You saw last night, you saw how the others saw you. I want to sink my teeth into you, but then I get closer and it's like I just touched the sun."
At least I got some truth, I figured. I couldn't help but raise my hand though, turning it over again and again as if I might see some explanation for what was wrong with me."I don't see it or feel it, but I guess it must be true." I had no reason not to accept what she said, I wouldn't understand but I didn't believe anything she said was a lie.
