Death's Favorite Child

28. Away from Home (2)

"Alis, what are you doing here?" asked the doctor.

"Hmmm. I'm on guard duty?" answered the female panther warrior hesitantly.

"Since when do you accept guard duties? You always say that you are a warrior and you wouldn't be caught dead doing guard duty!" said the doctor smiling. Of course, he knew that, like the rest of the people in the village, she wanted to see the human that had been recuperating in the infirmary the last six days. There has never been a human in this village or the entire tribe in the last 1000 years!

Alis lowered her head embarrassed.

"Go inside; you cannot stand guard from the outside, right?" the doctor chuckled as the young woman rushed into the room.

She looked at the young man sleeping calmly on the bed. He was half-naked with bandages on his shoulder and was tied to the bed. Beast people were close to nature and didn't shy away from the view of naked bodies. The human had a slim but well-toned body. He was pale like a ghost with beautiful black hair -- panther people were the only ones with pitch-black hair out of the beast people tribes.

* cough *

Alis turned to see the second guard smiling. She had been staring at the human for quite some time. The second guard was Kyle, a childhood friend. They were both orphans and grew up to become hunters.

"He is like a doll, right? He doesn't have any fur or tail!" Kyle said.

"Did he wake up?" Alis asked.

"Not yet. The doctor said any time now," answered Kyle.

"He looks weak. Do you really think he is a warrior?"

Kyle shrugged. They didn't know anything about the human. They could only wait for him to wake up.

= * =

It was late in the afternoon of the third day when Alis couldn't resist her curiosity anymore. She approached the young human to check his face up close. His features resembled the beast people, but he didn't have any fur, fangs, or horns. He was handsome and calm. The young man had been having nightmares the last two nights and screaming things they couldn't understand. The doctor said he was out of danger now and that he would wake up any time -- but he has been saying this for 3 days now. She leaned closer, analyzing the human's face with curiosity.

"Alis, get back here!" whisoered Kyle. Although the human was tied on the bed, they had orders never to approach him. If anyone saw her, she would be reprimanded!

"It's OK; he is still sleeping," said the female panther warrior turning to face Kyle. But when she turned to look at the human again, two cold black eyes were looking at her. She felt like someone was peering into her soul. She froze for a few seconds, unable to move.

"Kyaaahh," she screamed, jumping back and grabbing her spear.

"Kyle, raise the alarm! Call the Chief!" she yelled snapping out of her trance.

Daniel had been having nightmares all these days. He replayed in his mind all the people he killed in both his lives, over and over. Sometimes, Helena's, Rin's, Robert's, all their faces were overlayed on the people he was killing. They were judging him silently.

When he finally woke up, he was greeted by a beautiful unknown female face looking at him so close that he could feel her breath. It was a young girl in her late teens with wild features. It was not the untainted glamour of the noble girls he met before but a wild, unfettered beauty.

He didn't get to watch her for long though since the girl screamed, jumped back, and grabbed a spear. She was wearing light armor and pointed the spear at him -- she was a guard of some sort.