Third Person POV
Lola plops flat on the dirt ground, screaming upward.
“Dad! Let me out right now! I’m your own daughter, unlock this cell!”
“Useless foolish girl. You pulled such reckless garbage and got every single one of your bonded beast husbands lined up for execution. Wish you’d picked up even a tiny bit of my common sense.”
“It’s all that rotten vixen’s fault, dad! You gotta get me out of here!”
“I already talked Tigris down from punishing you worse, but if Lily pushes for heavier penalties I can’t save you. Her new mate is a super high rank beast after all.”
“Daddy I hate staying locked up! Who’s gonna look after all my cubs if i am stuck here, they can’t be without me.”
“You knew you had iy coming and still acted dumb. Autumn’s rolling in fast, and we need to pile tons of food before winter hits. I’ll beg Lily to spare you, but you better zip your mouth shut tight. I can still hook you up with spare male beasts.”
“Only old or weak ones though, none of the top tier males will want you after how you treated your mates. But they’re enough to keep you from freezing to death once winter kicks in.”
“Dad! No, why you did this to me i’am your daughter,” tears running like a river while she is banging the stone cell.
The tiger beast walking out in hast.
Lily’s POV
I stop staring at the drool-soaked flute hanging in Mara’s partner’s paws and turn to Tigris.
“Hey, before I got kidnapped last time you said you’d carve me a flute. Where’s that thing?”
“Found decent tusk not long ago, just haven’t finished carving it yet. It is in the cave, probably…” He sounds sorry and twitchy, and I instantly get why, he hates leaving me alone for periodsof time because of what happened last time.
“We can finish that flute later.” I glance over at Mara tucked against Tigris’s body, no more awkwardness here moving around being carried around by your husband unlike back home with cars and e-bikes, riding on your beast mate’s is totally normal in this Stone Age beast world.
“Sorry Mara, Tigris and I got somewhere to head out to.”
“Off to go mess with Lola?” Mara’s eyes glint curious and playful, typical trouble loving fox vixen.
“I don’t wanna start any messy fights. If I had a choice I’d laze around sleeping all day instead of dealing with that awful female dog.” I shake my head then turn to Tigris.
“I wanna visit the spot where we first met.”
Hope lights up his whole beast face, and he instantly gets the wrong idea.
“Leaving the tribe’s territory? Stay sharp, everyone’s out harvesting winter supplies right now. Random stray male beasts from other tribes love picking pointless fights this season.”
“There’s actual winter here?” I panic a little on the spot.
I originally came for a warm tropical Southeast Asian island with zero cold weather, but this land i am transmigrated into was different place, and the weather is also different, winter in stone age look harsh in the movie or geographic show i watch back in my apartement.
How am I supposed to survive freezing winter with only thin summer travel clothes and zero heaters?
I really need to hurry up and find the portal that dragged me here so I can head back home.
“Every land has winter, are there really places that never freeze?”
“Miles across the huge ocean, those lands only swap between dry and rainy seasons all year long.”
“Sounds insane to picture!” Mara’s bird beast husband cuts in with a nice smooth voice, tiny feathers fluffing along his arms.
I zone out for a sec, if I find a bird type beast later I could fly anywhere, just like those fantasy cultivation heroes.
“I’m the luckiest beast alive to have her,” Tigris suddenly nuzzles his muzzle into my neck, and I shove his face away, he caught me daydreaming about flying beasts.
“You’re her first first mate, so keep protecting Lily properly,” Mara chimes in.
Fox vixens are known for being sharp and quick to pick up on hidden thoughts way faster than other beast folks.
“Alright, let’s get going, bye Mara.”
Mara POV
“Bye Lily!” I wave after them as the pair stride off toward the tribe gate.
I slump beside my eagle-beast partner right after they vanish from sight, smacking my forehead lightly.
“Ugh, she took off so fast I totally forgot to ask her about that other new mate of hers! What kind of beast is he anyway?”
“I caught a quick glimpse last night when Lily beat down Lola,” my mate rumbles, feathers along his forearm fluffing up uneasily.
“Is he some wandering wild beast? High-rank too? I can’t pick up a single trace of his aura, yet he gives off this bone-chilling intimidating vibe.”
“I’m nowhere near as powerful as Tigris to tell for certain,” he flick my bushy fox tail back and forth, “but I’m positive he’s hiding his real strength. Could he be some runaway fugitive on the lam?”
“Nah, that can’t be right. Lily’s way too sharp and clever to get tangled up with a sketchy bad male beast.”
My gaze drifts to the distant figures of Lily and Tigris shrinking down the path, and I drop the thought of prying for now.
“Ah whatever, we can corner her for answers later. Hey, you’re an eagle beast with such a lovely voice, so why’re you so terrible at playing that flute? Your tune sounds all scratchy and off-key, but Lily’s flute music was so smooth and pleasant to listen to.”
Mara POV end.
“The walk’s pretty long. Wanna hop on my back for the trip Lily?” he asks but I turn it down for now.
“Nah, like this is just fine.”
We creep closer and closer to the tribe’s front wooden gate.
Right before we step outside the chief calls out to stop us.
“Tigris! Hold on a second!”
Tigris freezes then twists around.
“Chief? Just heading out for a casual walk with my wife did you need something?”
The chief shifts awkwardly and glances toward me.
“Lily I’m here to beg for my daughter. Would you find it in your heart to forgive her? Winter is fast approaching and everyone is busy prepping supplies. All of Lola’s chosen mates got put to execution already. Without a partner Lola cannot make it through the cold months please.”
“Her mates died? Why?” I blink confused.
I get punishing Lola for her mess but there is no sense killing innocent males alongside her.
“Huh they were her bonded mates of course. The tribe ordered their deaths to make sure none of them ever get a chance to harm you.” He stares at me with odd wide eyes like I just said something completely ridiculous.
I still cannot wrap my head around that brutal logic.
“Fine then just make sure I never cross paths with her again. I refuse to share the same space as that girl. Let us go Tigris.”
“You heard my wife. That is her final call.” We stroll straight out of the gate without another backward glance.
I end up feeling like some cheap petty villain even when Lola is the real troublemaker here.
“Is this the spot we first met?”
“Yep right here. I took down that massive towering beast right over there.” Tigris nods and points toward an empty patch of ground.
Something glints faintly amid the grass and my eyes light up instantly.
My tumbler!
“Tigris look over there that is my old bottle go pick it up quick.” Tigris grabs the tumbler and flips it back and forth in his big paws studying the strange smooth container.
The inside sits completely empty now.
“I thought I lost this ages ago so it really did stay here all along.” I scan every inch of the surrounding area.
Nothing remains besides faint leftover marks from their fight, holes on the ground and some huge tree fell in sinsister way, like a giant step on it mercilessly.
“This is odd. I only climbed a small hill back then and popped straight into this world. Tigris let us head further downhill a little more we might spot other leftover items.”
“Nothing else is around here Lily wait.” Every muscle on his beast body goes rigid all at once.
I latch onto his arm tight immediately.
“What is wrong? is it another catasthrope beast?”
“That would be far easier to handle unfortunately it is not.” Tigris drags me to duck behind a thick large tree.
I slap a palm over my mouth and hold my breath quiet as can be.
“Wait a second I catch an interesting scent.” One beast steps out from thick bushes a spotted leopard type beast.
A whole pack of the same cat beasts trails close behind him.
“More prey hanging around?” A second beast rumbles from the rear of the group.
“A FEMALE!”
“FEMALE FEMALE! WHERE IS SHE!”
These leopards got insane sharp noses.
It only takes a blink before their sniffing tracks us down behind the tree.
They spot Tigris hiding with me pressed tight in his arms a full grown tiger beast no less.
All their eyes blow wide the second they lock sight on me, quiet amazed grumbles rolling through the pack.
“Wow, what a gorgeous female.”
“Pretty girl what’re you doing roaming this dangerous wilderness? Is your mate that useless he can’t keep you safe? Leave him and tag along with me.”
Another leopard shoves his pack out the way instantly.
“No pick me! I’m a four striped beast. Marry me and I’ll break through to earn my fifth stripe.”
A third leopard cuts in mid bicker.
“We’re blood siblings all together just take all three of us. We’ll trail you straight back to your tribe no complaints.”
“Back off! My female has enough partner! We don’t need you! Go away!”
One of the leopards jabs an elbow at Tigris and squawks loud.
“Don’t be so stingy let us court her too. It is not up to you to make all the calls.”
His brother nods rapidly and sniffs the air again.
“Right right judging by her scent she does not have that many bonded partners. What harm is there adding two or three more brothers into your family?”
“Sorry I am not taking more mates we only came out here to wander around.” I reject their offer flat away.
Their easy banter quickly turns sour and tempers flare fast.
The three leopards refuse to back down and challenge Tigris to an official one on one duel.
The standoff spirals straight into an impending fight.
I open my mouth and let out a sharp panicked scream right as the ground starts shaking violently beneath our feet.
A sudden earthquake rolls through the whole woodland.
Tall trees on the far side crack and topple one after another with deafening crashes.
Every single leopard’s fur stands fully on end all dropping into ready battle stances prepared to fight whatever incoming threat.
Contrary to everyone else Tigris relaxes his tense muscles completely.
He shifts back into his humanoid shape in a smooth quick motion and pulls me securely back into his arms.
It is only a handful of heartbeats before a monstrous giant snake creeps out from behind the fallen timber.
Its body hits six to nine meters thick around and stretches so far none of us can spot where its tail finally ends.
A low chilling hsss echoes across the clearing.
The massive serpent’s body warps and reshapes until it settles into human form draped in natural scaled snake skin clothing.
His deep rumbling voice cuts through the tense air.
“My wife.”
I gasp and yell out instantly.
“Jor! you are back!”
His cold sharp gaze flicks toward the three frozen leopard brothers.
“Are these low life beasts bothering you?”
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Author’s Note
Beast stripes mark a beast’s overall strength tier used to rank every beast’s power level.
Ranks go from one up to ten stripes total.
Newborn cubs start at zero stripes by default and earn more as they grow stronger.
If a cub’s father holds a high beast rank the baby can hatch with a few pre unlocked stripes right from birth.
Stripes show up anywhere on a beast’s skin when they take humanoid form.
Tigris’s stripes grow along his back for example.
Top tier divine beasts like Jormungandr break past the ten stripe cap entirely once they hit peak strength.
All their body stripes fade away completely afterward and their power becomes impossible to measure by regular ranking rules.
These beings hold such overwhelming power the world’s natural universe force will seal and restrict them whenever they unleash strength exceeding the world’s maximum bearing limit.