Chapter 7- The Peacocks and Mermaids

When we arrived at the Peacock's Village, surprisingly we were greeted by the patriarch of the village. He also told us why they're going to accept us even though I have a feral as my mate.

He said that he has a son who was supposed to be his successor. This son of his keep courting the one considered as the prettiest female of this clan but that female making difficult things for his son.

Until one day a female with a feral marking on her left leg seeking refuge together with a hawk beast. He said that the girl don't appears to be pretty as she had a strange spots on her face.

But he knew that this female have a good fertility as he gave birth to a cubs for a leopard after giving birth to a snake's offsprings.

He told his son to pursue the female and mate with her after giving birth. But his hardheaded son continue to court the female from their village.

One day his son had a sudden change of heart and chased this female. After giving birth her leopard mate came and they left the village. As soon as his grew his feathers as it was fallen off after fighting the leopard mate, he went to chase the female again and never returned.

"Do you think your son is currently in the Tiger village where this woman also now living?" I asked.

"I'm sure, he went there to chase her but I just want to know if he was doing well there. If he found a mate and had his offspring. Even though his a hardheaded kid, Alva is still my offspring I hope you can find him and tell him to visit me one day with his offspring."  The patriarch wiped his tears with a hope glimmer in his eyes.

"If he was really there I'll promise to tell him your message. And we are truly grateful for letting us stay here in your village." I bowed at him.

After the talk one of the beast folk guided us into a tree hole were we will stay.

I saw Aeron outside talking to a female with blue hair, her stomach was protruding though she doesn't look like she's pregnant.

Aeron's seems like he's annoyed with the female and he shoved her away.

Hours have passed and night comes. The four of us having dinner together with my baby snakes.

"My babies grow so fast!" I said as I patted their heads.

"I'm feeding them emeralds so they'll grow up fast and can hunt colossal beasts on their own." Ophio said.

"I heard from one of the females in the sheep village that snakes offsprings end up mating with their own mother because they contain the memories of their father and think of themselves as him, is that true?" I worriedly asked.

"Well, that works on other snakes but not with my kin. You see, we think ourselves as prettiest being and none of the woman in this world par to our beauty. You can compare it to the mermaids they don't fall for females on land because for them they're very ugly and not worthy to be their mate. So they end up mating with one female that female can't die unless she gave birth to another female. We are very rare as we only breed with pretty females which is very rare. Some of my ancestors kidnapped females from the fox clan because they have the prettiest female. And my father only felt hatred for my mother."

"Why is that?" I asked.

"Because my mother tricked my father on mating with him. He can't leave my mother because of the spousal mark. So what we also felt for our mother is hatred. Me and my brothers left to live our own lives as we are not interested in mating not until I found you." He gazed at me lovingly.

"Do you love me?"

He sighed and touch some strands of my hair and kissed it.

"The moment I laid my eyes on you, my heart is already yours."

"Then that means in our childs memory the love me as their mate and not as their mother?"

"They won't." He assured.

"How are you so sure?"

"Because I told them that if they mated on you, their stinky father bird will eat them and sbakes is his favourite food." He laugh evily.

"You and your offsprings don't look appetizing at all." Aeron nonchalantly said.

We finished our dinner and we prepared to sleep.

I kept tossing and turning but I couldn't sleep at all.

"You can't sleep?" Aeron asked.

I nodded in response.

"Is there something bothering you?"

"Uhm.. The mermaids, it's just different from the stories of mermaids in my own world."

"Do you want to go to the sea? You can tell me the stories of mermaids in your world while watching the sea."

I agreed with him and he carried me as we head out of the tree hole.

He spread his wings and flew on the night sky.

In less than a few minutes, we reached the sea shore.

We sat under the palm tree as the waves touched our feet.

"Will I be able to see a mermaid here?" I asked.

"Do you want nermaid as your mate?"

"No! Is just that mermaids in my world were just a mythical creatures, a very beautiful female with fish tail. They sang songs to lure males to jump in to the sea. Well there's one story that I like about mermaids. She's a beautiful princess who saved a prince one day and fell in love with him. So one day she asked a... Uhm... A powerful being who have the ability to transform her tail into human legs."

"Human?" He curiously asked.

"That's what they called my kin."

"Then humans must be really pretty."

"Not as pretty as you." I replied.

"Why did she asked someone to morph her tail into legs? Can't she do it on her own? And why do females have tails?"

"I told you it's different from my world. Mermaid is a female and the males called mermen. And they can't morph their legs they have to use something like ability to turn her tail in to leg in exchange of her wish was her beautiful voice. And to make her legs permanent she has to be loved back by the prince."

"What's a prince?"

"Well... In the beast city you met the leopard king, right? Then his offsprings is princes. To put it simply, offsprings of the king."

"Oh.. did the prince loved the female mermaid?"

"Well, when the prince woke up after the mermaid brought him to the shore the first person he sees is w female human. He thought that the female was the one who saved him so he was going to marry her."

"What's marry?"

"It's a tradition in my world were there's a ceremony before a male and a female mate. When the mermaid return to the land to see the prince but it was too late. The prince was marrying the female. According to the witch the being who turned her tails into legs. If that prince can't love her back he have to stab him with a dagger that the witch gave her. At night she sneaks into his room and stab him while he was sleeping. But she realized that she loved the prince so much that she couldn't stab him. She went out of his room and walk until she reached the shore. As the water hits her body it turns into sea foam. In her last moment she turn around and saw the prince looking at her. A huge wave engulf her and she turned completely into seafoam. The prince realize that it's the mermaid who saved him and not the female. But it's already too late. The man walk in to the sea and drown himself. And that's how the story ends."

"Why don't the mermaid asked him to marry her as well?"

"In our world both male and female loved and marry only one person in their lifetime. Though there some exception but it will too long to explain so just nevermind that part. This is why I love this story true love sacrifices some hated it because of the sad ending. Is there a mermaid living in this sea?"

"Well, there is. According to some beast folks who lived nearby. But sadly you can never meet them."

"Why?"

"They were massacred last year by a crimson snake. Every single one of them."

I sighed.

"Even in this world mermaids have a sad story."

"Now I'm jealous all you're thinking about right now is mermaids."

"Hey! I'm the one who supposed to be jealous! I saw you talking to a female of the peacock tribe!"

"Oh dear! She's not even worth of your jealousy." He said as he grabbed my arm and kissed me.

We exchanged hot kisses and warm touches. With our bodies unclothed, his warm body hovered mine. Under the moons. Our body moved together to the rhythm of the waves.