Eight - Part Two

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It wasn’t until Fauna heard chatters and footsteps approach her that she jumped up from the clutches of sleep.

She blinked rapidly to rid her eyes from sleep as she let out a long yawn. She didn’t recall the last time she felt

so relaxed.

Zara’s face suddenly came into view and Fauna was surprised as she looked around and found that she wasn’t by the water anymore. Instead, she was in the most beautiful room she had ever seen in her life.

“Okay, this isn’t fair!” Zara exclaimed as she looked around the room. “Saber and I have to share a boring caveroom while you have this beauty all to yourself.”

Fauna jumped down from her new levitating bed and stared around at all the flowers lining the walls of the

cave. She noticed she still had an orb of light hovering around her head and she didn’t know why it made her

giggle. Zara also had one, but hers was purple.

The cave was spacious. Way too spacious for one person. Other than the floating bed, she had a couch at the far end of the room and a hammock where she could relax. Zara made for the hammock immediately and jumped on it.

“This is super amazing! The bears are amazing! Can we just live here forever?” Zara looked way too excited.

Then again, Zara was always enthusiastic.

“What are you wearing? You weren’t in that when you left.” Zara pointed to Fauna’s outfit and she looked down

at the white jumpsuit that looked perfect against her dark skin. She smiled as she thought of Lyle.

“Lyle gave it to me.”

Zara looked bemused as she stared at Fauna, so the young girl sat on the couch and relayed the event of the

previous night to her friend.

Zara listened with rapt attention. She offered nothing but hums every now and then to show that she understood what Fauna was saying. Fauna didn’t stop explaining how she felt with Lyle, not even when the wall opened and Saber walked into the room and joined her at the couch.

Finally, she stopped talking and stared expectantly at her friends. She had a mate. She couldn’t say she was in

love with the merman, but a huge part of her wanted her friends to approve of him.

“Woah!” Zara exclaimed, then she mimicked the sounds of an explosion as she smiled. “My mind is officially

blown!”

Fauna turned to Saber who was just staring with his brows scrunched. He was trying to digest the information

before he said anything. He took in a deep breath while Fauna held hers in anticipation.

“I don’t trust him,” he finally said and Fauna sighed dejectedly while Zara let out a whine.

“He sounds amazing and kind to Fauna,” Zara argued.

“Yes, but… I don’t know. He sounds too perfect and no one is that perfect.” Saber shrugged. “Moreover, he

hasn’t seen you in a long, long time, so how can he still have feelings for you?”

“You’re a tiger,” Zara reminded Saber and Fauna nodded. “Trust me, I’ve been with humans for a long time and they describe love as the most incredible feeling in the world that transcends time and distance.” Zara hung upside-down on the hammock as she watched her friends, an infectious grin on her face.

Saber however scoffed and rolled his eyes.

“It makes no sense whatsoever.”

“I think it does, Saber.” Fauna placed a palm over his. “I was nothing but a voice in your head, but you came to

my rescue and since then, you’ve looked after me. If that isn’t love, I don’t know what is.”

“That’s different!” Saber insisted. “You’re like my little sister and it’s my duty to protect you. And you, Zara, are my subject.”

“Yeah, yeah!” Zara rolled her eyes. “I bet I’m stronger than you, so... Anywho, the point is that you can still love someone even when they’re not around. Perhaps they can get along and make a big and strong magical baby.”

Fauna gagged at the mental image. She had never envisioned herself mating with anyone. While she felt

something for the merman, she didn’t think she wanted a fish-pup anytime soon, if ever!

“Is that what you want?” Saber asked Fauna. As always, he just wanted her to be safe… And happy. Fauna

however shrugged.

“That doesn’t even matter right now, does it?” Fauna stood and stretched her arms above her head as she

stifled a yawn. “We are on a mission, and that mission is to gather as much strength as I can, then we go home

and put an end to Ari once and for all.”

Her voice showed her determination and Saber smiled at her, showing his pride. Zara however scoffed and

rolled her eyes. She sat up straight on the hammock and stared right at Fauna.

“Don’t you get it, Snow? You are home!”

Fauna stiffened as she stared at the eccentric tigress. Zara’s wild red hair was scattered all over her face and

her intense violet eyes bore into Fauna’s. Fauna hated to admit she was right. She was home. She could feel it

in her. However, the tigers were also her family and she had to go back to them. She had to.

Before she could protest though, the entrance of the cave opened and Honey stepped in. The older bear

loomed over the tigers, especially Zara who was very small for a werefolk. She wasn’t imposing though. She had the friendliest smile Fauna had ever seen.

“Doka has decided that you train immensely. The full moon is at hand, and if you aren’t prepared for the

transformation, you could die.” Her kaleidoscopic eyes were gentle and the smile never dropped from her face; not even at the mention of Fauna’s possible death.

Fauna turned to her friends who were both staring at the bear with wide eyes filled with surprise and a hint of

fear. Fauna had seen a lot of cubs transform. No one ever died from it.

“I could die?” She repeated and with a giggle, Honey nodded. Her enthusiasm was beginning to annoy Zara.

“Come on! We have to introduce you to everyone during breakfast. After that, we rest and chill for a couple of

minutes, then we train for hours.”

“Could I train with her?” Zara inquired as she jumped down.

Honey who was already hunched over as she spoke to them bent a little lower to address Zara with a huge

smile that made the sides of her eyes crinkle. “Of course! The more the merrier!” She clapped her large palms together. “Let’s get going!”

She walked out of the room, her orb of light following after her. Fauna found that she missed the actual

sunlight.

Saber stood from the couch, a crease on his forehead as he watched Honey’s retreating figure. When the bear was out of sight, he turned to his friends and shook his head.

“This place makes no sense! Why are the bears so nice? They’re supposed to be the biggest and most ruthless

creatures in the wild.”

“They freak me out!” Zara added. “One of them offered to groom me today. My hair isn’t that bad, is it?” She pointed to her hair and Fauna grimaced at the rats’ nest she carried on her head.

“I’m hungry!” Was all she said as she walked out of the room with Saber and Zara following her. She didn’t

share their sentiments. She loved the bears’ cave, though she longed for some sunlight rather than the orbs of

light that followed them around.

How could she not love the cave? It was literally magical with the levitating rocks and weird jumpsuit she had that she just couldn’t explain. Then, there was Lyle and the way he made her feel.

She couldn’t explain it, but she longed to see his face again. She longed for his touch, his scent… She just

wanted to see him and she didn’t know why. There was just something about the way he made her heart skip multiple beats that was refreshing.

The levitating rock followed after Honey and led them into a clearing that was beside the lake. Fauna frowned as she saw the tables and chairs arranged in the vast open space she recalled seeing the night before. She leaned towards Honey who raised a brow at her.

“Where did all the furniture come from?”

“Oh! It’s all magic!” Honey giggled. This is like our multipurpose space. The merfolks help us turn it into

whatever we need. A stadium for training? A place for a banquet, anything you can think of.”

Fauna hummed and nodded as she straightened herself and noticed all the bears that were already seated and staring at her. Saber walked up to her and took her hand in his at an attempt to protect her from all the

harmless but uncomfortable gazes.

She cleared her throat when she saw Doka and Penny beckoning them over. Glances followed her as they

joined Doka, Penny and Honey at their table which was not far off from the lake. She turned to the lake in

hopes of seeing Lyle again, but she was disappointed.

There were however some merfolks who emerged from the water and Fauna gasped at how ethereal and

beautiful they all were. They were mostly pale with long flowing hair and the most beautiful pairs of eyes ever.

They were dressed in the same clothing she was in, all in different colours and they walked with purpose and majesty.

“They are beautiful,” Zara’s voice was muffled and Fauna turned to her only to notice the tigress had started

stuffing her face with food. “This is amazing by the way! What is it? Deer? It doesn’t quite taste like it.”

“It’s buffalo,” Doka corrected. Doka reminded Fauna of Lord Bruce. He was strict, but very gentle and loving, and it was obvious he loved his clan and would do anything to keep them safe.

The thought made her heart hurt and her eyes to fill up with tears, but she blinked them away. She was here to

train and become better so that she could help her family. There was no use crying. Crying solved nothing.

She reached for the large mango that was on the table rather than the meat that was causing Saber and Zara

to groan and moan at its deliciousness and she bit into the fleshy and juicy goodness.

“Where’s Lyle?” She quietly asked as she looked behind Doka at the table where the merfolks were seated. More women than men, but no Lyle.

Doka glanced at Penny and Honey who were grinning widely at her, excitement in their eyes. Honey let out a small squeal that made her look younger than she was and Fauna wondered how the woman had so much energy in her.

“Some of the mermen went for a swim. A merchild went missing a while ago and they’re trying to find her before any human does. That would be catastrophic for the merfolks.”

Zara hummed in understanding as she dropped a large chunk of bone on the table and let out a loud belch that

caused Saber to chuckle fondly at her.

“As wonderful as humans can be, they are horrendous and would do

anything in the name of science and discovery.”

Fauna let out a small sigh as she stared back at the water. Lyle wasn’t there. He was being brave and

searching for one of his own. She found it rather admirable.

“You should go join the merfolks. They’re eager to meet you,” Honey gestured to the table the merfolks

occupied and Fauna looked in that direction to find some of them staring at her. They murmured under their

breaths and though they were close to her, she couldn’t hear what they said.

Odd!

“You think so?” She tentatively asked. She thought it would be awkward, seeing as Lyle was absent and she

didn’t know anyone there, but the other bears nodded excitedly as they ate.

Fauna turned to Saber and found that he wore a grim expression. Zara however was happily munching on her buffalo meat and letting out moans of appreciation. It was almost as though she had completely forgotten Fauna was there.

Fauna bit her lower lip lightly as she stood, her half-eaten mango in her hand. Penny and Honey smiled at her as they shooed her towards the merfolks who were staring at her with eager smiles.

She stopped right before their table and stared at an empty seat there. “May I?” Her voice was small and filled with nerves but the woman beside the seat nodded.

“It’s Lyle’s, but I’m sure he wouldn’t mind.”

Blood rushed to Fauna’s cheeks as she sat down and took a nibble of her mango to keep herself busy. She

glanced at everyone present. On the other side of the woman was a little girl who was staring at Fauna and she had the brightest smile Fauna had ever see, but she also looked very familiar.

Fauna stared at the young girl with a round face and thin lips. Her skin was pale and her eyes were the same

unmistakeable shade of gold that belonged to the merman… her mate. Though the girl also had golden hair,

hers were several shades lighter and also streaked with pink and purple.

“You’re Lyle’s sister?” Fauna spoke and the young girl squealed excitedly and clung to the woman’s arms.

“I’m Ava! You must be Snow. You’re as pretty as Lyle says.” She giggled lightly as she toyed with the pearl

necklace around her neck.

“Thanks.” Fauna smiled shyly. Lyle had been talking about her.

“I’m Amor,” the woman beside her pointed to herself. “I’m their mother, and that is my brother Alton,” she

pointed to the man that was on the other side of Ava.

Amor was the prettiest lady Fauna had ever seen. She had floral decorations all over her long golden hair and like her children, she has gold-coloured eyes that are so welcoming and kind. Her dress was pink which looked perfect against her flawless pale skin. Fauna noticed that the part of her hands that aren’t covered have light colourful scales on them.

Alton is a silver haired man who has golden eyes. Upon hearing his name, he made a gesture Fauna had never

seen before. He placed his right hand over his chest, then faced it towards her, a bright smile on his face. He

had slightly puffy cheeks that reminded Fauna of a cub that was yet to lose its baby fat.

“We’re the leaders of the merfolks, and these are some of our members,” Amor gestured to the others at the

table and they all made the gesture Alton just did. It made Fauna believe it was some sort of greeting, so she

mirrored it and that only seemed to make them giggle.

“Did I do anything wrong?” She leaned closer to Amor and whispered, but the woman shook her head with a warm smile.

“You didn’t, child. We’re just pleased. Not only are you pretty, you’re also well mannered.” She chuckled. “You’ve always been well mannered so, I’m not surprised.”

With a pleased smile, Fauna looked at the other members present. They were all beautiful with various shades of skin, hair and eyes that managed to look ethereal. They were magic, there was no doubting that, but they

were also as kind and welcoming as the bears.

Fauna was surprised. She had expected that the keepers of the remnant of magic would be stuck-up and hold themselves of high importance. Perhaps they were. What was to say they weren’t nice to her only because she was a Shapeshifter? It was after all known that hardly anyone wandered into the bear caves and lived to tell the tale.

She took the last bite of her mango and offered a tight-lipped smile as she glanced towards the lake once more.

Why did she miss him so much?

“You’re searching for Lyle, aren’t you?” Amor whispered to her. The sound was so low, it was almost as if the woman was speaking into her head, yet, she wasn’t. Perhaps it was magic and that’s why she couldn’t

eavesdrop on their conversation from a distance.

“I just… No! I mean – the thing is –”

“No need to be flustered.” Amor let out a light laugh that made Fauna smile. The sound was simply glorious and the woman moved with the grace of a goddess. “He’s your mate. It’s only natural you miss him when he’s

far away.”

She guessed the woman was right. All her life, Fauna had felt like she was missing something, or someone.

She had chalked it up to it being her longing to know who her parents were, but it turned out that wasn’t it. Lyle was the person her heart had been calling out to.

“Honey told me he went to search for a missing child. What happened?”

A crease appeared on Amor’s forehead, but it smoothened almost immediately as she picked up a piece of fish and handed it over to Fauna who accepted it.

“Don’t worry about that. As for Lyle, he’s going to be here in time for the race.”

“What race?” Fauna quirked up a brow as she took a small bite of the fish and the side of Amor’s lips lifted in a knowing smile that made Fauna’s stomach churn with nerves.

What race?