"Are you sure you should be visiting the City of Beasts with you going into heat?" The Matriarch asked Chiaki, concerned for the female. "What if another male tries to force you into being his mate?"
"Just make sure to watch out for Ji Mo." Chiaki said. "Her body will be doing the same thing soon."
The Matriarch covered her frown with a hand. "You are sure?"
Chiaki nodded.
"Maybe I should push her to take a mate again, she has been talking to the males more lately."
"Tell her that 'Chestnut-feather' seems like the best choice." Chiaki told the old woman. "She'll know what I mean." Chestnut-feather was actually the translation of the male name into English, the two transmigrated women had to focus really hard but could make words come out in English or Mandarin instead of the common language of the Beast World.
Chiaki hopped onto Qianhuang's back, he was in his large lion form and packed with all the belongings he and Chiaki had kept, everything they weren't taking with them had been traded for supplies. He'd even been able to trade for a small clay pot of salt. "Good bye!" Chiaki called as she waved out at the entire village.
Then they were off, Qianhuang bounding quickly through the village and then into the forest. The City of Beasts was a long way away and it would take until almost the start of Winter to arrive. If they didn't make it in time, they would have to stay at another village until Spring.
"Where will we be heading first?" Chiaki asked.
"The Winged Tiger Clan lives the closest, but we know they are visiting with our Winged Lion Clan. Soon they will head to the many clan trading spot, to trade with all the other nearby clans. We need to trade for enough food to last through the Cold Season, even though we Winged Lions now have Sweat Potatoes and Carrots, we need meat. Hunting is difficult in the Cold Season and can be dangerous."
"So all the nearby clans are on the move to a big gathering?"
"Yes, probably."
"Then where are we going?"
"The City of Beast is very far... and we wont be able to visit another village until we are out of the territory belonging to the Winged Beast."
"Oh. Are there many Winged Beast clans?"
"Some boast there are ten thousand winged beast clans!"
"Ten thousand?!"
Qianhuang laughed. "Yes, but I doubt it is true. The Winged Beasts lands is actually a smaller territory in this world. Non-winged beasts are much more common. Like the Leopard Clan, the Wolf Clan, the Black Bear Clan. Then there are the flying beast tribe, with the Eagle Clan, and the Crow Clan, the Peacock Clan, all the beast men that are birds. They are different from us winged beasts, who are animals that normally do not have wings."
"So animals and birds? Are their other types of beast men?"
"I know there are fish men... and the cold blooded males who do not live in groups. They are the ones many clans warn females of."
"The feral beasts the Matriarch told Ji Mo and me about?"
"Yes, those." He fell quiet, loping easily through the forest with Chiaki and all their possessions on his back.
Chiaki tightened her hands in Qianhuangs fur. Feral beasts did not sound kind, she could only wonder if it was because they tended to be cold blooded creatures like lizards or if they had other reasons.
"Do not be afraid." Qianhuang said. "I will protect you."
"Thank you."
