Several weeks passed as they traveled towards the City of Beasts without seeing another person at all. Days they traveled, then near evening Qianhuang would find a safe place for Chiaki and their things while he hunted. They had a small amount of preserved food, but it was for if they had no other choice. At night Qianhuang still had enough energy to want to mate. When they didn't have sex they would lay together under the stars, Qianhuang teaching her the constellations and telling her stories about the three moons in the sky.
Qianhuang had not wandered near any village yet, he wanted to keep his mate all to himself. Yes, it was selfish, but all the unmated males would try to gain Chiaki's attention. What if she wanted another mate? She said he made her happy, but for how long would that be? When would a new male become more interesting? It made his belly hurt to think about Chiaki mating with another male.
"Let's mate." Qianhuang said suddenly and slowed in his running.
"It's still early afternoon?" Chiaki questioned.
But he'd already slowed to a walk. "There is a village only a few days from here, I want-" He couldn't blush in lion form.
"Afraid another male will get my attention?" Chiaki teased.
"Yes!"
Chiaki hugged him around the neck, burying her face in his mane. "Key."
"I know it's wrong to want to keep you to myself, and that another male in our family would make it easier to keep you safe. We could take turns staying with you while the other hunted. I wouldn't have to find a place for you to hide. But, I want all your attention like it's been."
Chiaki scratched into Qianhuangs mane. "Is that why we haven't seen any villages on this trip yet?"
"You knew?!"
She laughed. "I do know how to tell directions, you know."
He stopped walking. "I'm sorry, I seem to always do the wrong thing."
"You just worry." Chiaki slipped from his back and walked around to his face. "Never be afraid of loosing me to another guy, you big lug." She hugged his large head. "Let's set up came here for the night, we can even eat some of the preserved meat so you don't have to hunt today."
"Why?"
"Well, aren't we going to mate?" She kissed his nose.
His ears perked up and his tail began to swish wildly. "Really?!"
"Let's get all the bags off you first, if you transform now you'll be covered in an avalanche!"
o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o
"There are too many wolves around here." Qianhuang said as he bounded through the forest. "We can't stay out tonight, but the village is close."
"Do you know the village?"
"It's one of the Leopard Clan." He pushed himself to move a little faster. He could hear wolves chasing something in the distance. Then a female yell. Then the roar of a Leopard. He only slowed a little when the village came into view. "We have made it before nightfall." Suddenly ahead of them a Leopard with a female riding on his back burst from the tree line, headed towards the village too.
"Looks like there is something happening. I guess we are arriving at an exciting time."
"Duck down into my mane." Qianhuang had slowed to a trot by the time they neared the village guards. They looked both angry and stunned. "Can we enter the village?" He asked.
The two males guarding the entrance jumped at his words, then one nodded. "Y-yes." He walked past them easily, they watched him enter nervously. Just inside the village entrance a crowd had gathered around the Leopard and female. The male roared at the other males, claiming the female was his because he'd been the one to find her.
"Why couldn't I have been wrong about the excitement?" Chiaki chuckled into Qianhuangs mane.
"Her clothes are not furs." He commented.
"Could she be from my world? I'd have to see her better, but she's keeping her face hidden."
"Let's not worry for now." He started walking again, only for a group of females to join the crowd. Like every female Chiaki had seen in this world they were very average looking, and their attitudes pushed them into ugly.
"Who is this group you brought, Parker?" Asked a female who'd been singled out as Eudora.
"Group?" The Leopard male asked in confusion. It was then that most of those gathered took notice of Qianhuang and Chiaki.
The response was immediate. "FEMALE!" "Look at the female on the back of the Winged Lion!" "She's beautiful!" "Female?" "Female!" "Oh wow!" "There's a new female!" "Female do you have a mate?" "Female, what Tribe are you from?" "Female, you are the most pretty female I have seen! Please be my mate!" "Female!" A dozen voices, then two dozen. The males pushed forward to gather around Qianhuang and the Leopard male. This time the roar from the Leopard male was not enough to frighten away the group.
Qianhuang spread his wings in agitation and roared loudly at the gathering group. He was MUCH larger than the Leopard and much more intimidating for it. They stopped pushing forward and those closest to Qianhuang even stepped back, bumping into the males behind them.
The Leopard male was changing into his human form and yelling at the males surrounding them. "Back off! Bai Qingqing is going to be my mate!"
Qianhuang wanted to leave the village already, he knew the males would want to take his mate's attention for themselves. But Chiaki wanted to learn about the world. He had made a promise to take her wherever she desired. He stood there, growling lowly at the group.
"He said: BACK OFF!" Chiaki suddenly yelled over all the noise. All the males stopped. They stopped talking. They stopped moving. A few held their breaths. The female was angry at them. How could the beautiful female be so harsh? Chiaki pushed herself up on Qianhuangs back, her hands on top of his head and pushing his mane down so she could see around them better. "How childish! We have just arrived from a long distance away and instead of being welcomed to your village all the males are harassing new females who are tired! Is this the way the Leopard Clan treats it's guests?! I've seen cubs behave better!" Her words stung deeper than a bite wound. Soon all the males had moved back, ears pinned down in shame.
The females though were still standing near the Leopard male, Parker. Actually, they seemed to be picking on the female he'd brought into the village with him. Chiaki sighed, there would be no way to talk to the female right now.
"Let's find the village leader." Qianhuang suggested. Chiaki slid back down onto his back from her standing position. "They can tell us if there is a place to stay here... that is if you want to stay?" He added the last part hopefully. Maybe the Leopard Clan had left enough of a bad impression on his mate that she would not want to stay here now.
"Good idea, Key." She said, rubbing her face into his mane.
With a sigh, Qianhuang walked deeper into the village.
