Bab 95: 95 - Cloud Nine (2.8 k words)
YaYa's POV
"This way," I showed them the direction.
The cobbled path was surrounded by colorful fruit trees and bushes, perfect for a refreshing stroll. The benches, swings, and tables by the road would encourage the guests to sit and rest.
On our way, we spotted a hoard of cubs chasing each other. I called out to them, and one of the tiger cubs ran toward us, jumping into my arms as I crouched down.
"Where are your brothers?"
The cub pointed toward a faraway water stream.
"Which Papa allowed you to play here with our guest's cubs?"
Skaris and Bart taught the cubs some sign language to communicate better with me, so when the cub covered its face and peeked its eyes from behind its paws, I already knew who it meant.
"Papa Karrak?"
The cub nodded, and I put the bundle of energy down, "Show your new friends a good time so they will be encouraged to come more often."
The tiger cub "howled" and returned to our little guests. They chased each other around while waiting for the night to come.
Nivi's cubs stayed back in her kingdom and were cared for by Bluepool and her males' people. She wished they could be here with her but was afraid it would be too dangerous for them to tag along.
The path soon split into a fork, and a group of two-story buildings appeared. Each house could accommodate around twenty people and was far enough from each other to offer some privacy. There were currently around fifty of them.
We passed a few more houses until we arrived at an empty one.
While we took the walk, amenities were delivered into the building: soap, combs, towels, moisturizers, scented oils, and lubricants, among other things. The guest could take them all home after their stay.
The house had two bedrooms and a common living area with access to a private hot spring and garden, as well as a bathroom and sauna.
One stripless merman, peacock, and scorpion beastman were assigned as their butlers. They were here to take care for their needs during their stay.
Mermaids and peacock females were their regulars, so Nivi's beauty didn't shock them, but her presence still took them aback.
"Welcome to Cloud Nine. We're honored to have you with us," the scorpion bowed.
"Thank you. My name is Nivi. I would like to thank you for your services," she said, accepting a cup of cold virgin mojito from the peacock.
Together with the merman, the peacock beastman placed trays with cold drinks and snacks on the table.
"Not at all. This is what we do. We're always glad to serve," the scorpion replied. His acting was almost as spectacular as his boss's, "We offer trips inside a merman's bubble or flights through the sky on a male peacock, from dawn until midday. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call on me. My name is Fell."
Depending on the guests' budget, the scorpion would lead them to an underground jewelry store, where they could purchase gems, rings, necklaces, and other items crafted from precious stones and metals by the scorpion tribe.
If the guests were bold enough, they could visit a salon and have their hair, fur, or feathers groomed.
The most daring ones could even have a full body massage or an erotic one.
The mermaids loved underground trips the most. They could spend hours sprawled on a table, getting massaged. As our main ambassadors, they received free treatment twice a month.
"I will have some dinner sent to your room soon," the scorpion said after he showed them how to use the sauna by pouring water over the hot coals, "Please, enjoy your stay."
Nivi and her males went to check the hot spring, and after a few minutes, she screamed in delight, "This is amazing!"
Winston checked the construction of the house and the furniture. He looked at the walls, the door, and the windows and took mental notes of everything that caught his attention.
Nivi almost teared up when she saw the primitive flushable toilet, the working faucet, and the plumbing system. "You must have contributed greatly to the progress of this place."
"Not at all. I didn't lift a finger," I replied truthfully, "It was all the boys."
Nivi and her males finally seem to be able to relax. Their image of me improved after they discovered that I could also put my brain to good use, and improve others' lives (even though it was for profit).
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I didn't want to disturb their privacy any further and left.
The beastmen had a tacit understanding: Don't mess with the stripless working in the resort. Some guests looked down on them, and Mitchell banned them from entering our territory and using the canal altogether.
The scorpions were here to earn crystals for their females back in the Flame City, not to be degraded by some arrogant jerks.
I stopped by the stream and checked on the cubs. The moon was about to rise, and their little jaws held onto a stick with an insect nest.
Skaris handed me a stick, "For you, Dear."
"Thank you." I held the stick between my fingers and did a few tricks in the air, causing the cubs to get excited and jump up and down, begging me to do more.
I picked up a few stones and juggled them. Soon, the whole hoard of cubs sat on the ground with the three Papas, their heads following the flying sticks and rocks.
The three tried to juggle too, and when they failed, I slowed down and showed them how to do it. They were quick learners, and before long, they could juggle by themselves.
The cub's faces showed how they couldn't wait to grow up and be able to juggle rocks and sticks too.
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A first firefly flew above us, lighting up the darkness, followed by more.
The cubs squealed, picking up their nets and running after the glowing insects.
The three Papas followed close behind, preventing the cubs from pumping into the trees and other cubs. They were like the cubs' wings, catching them in the air and placing them on the ground.
I laughed as they ran back and forth with glowing sticks in their jaws.
The nets were coated in a sticky liquid to prevent insects from escaping.
I raised the scorpion cub and helped it capture a firefly in between its pincers.
When the nests became full, I summoned the mermen with Gold's spousal imprint so they could accompany the cubs to their parents.
The cubs handed their parents glowing gifts before returning to play by the stream again.
We roasted some crickets and grasshoppers and shared them with the cubs. They were sweet and juicy, and the cubs quickly ate all the bugs in our hands, asking for more.
When their tummies were full, they dropped like dead flies and snuggled close to each other, their tiny snouts rising and falling from the ground, breathing softly.
"Are they heavy?" Bart asked when I didn't let go of the sheep cubs.
"Not as heavy as you," I said.
"YaYa!" Bart hid his face, "Not before the cubs."
One of the leopard cubs suddenly woke up and raised its head, looking around. Mitchell rubbed its head, and the cub's eyes closed slowly, "It's their last night together. Most of them are going home tomorrow."
I caressed their fluffy cheeks, "Do they know they're going home?"
"Yes, they do," Mitchell said, "But they don't understand the meaning yet."
The cubs' parents wouldn't be the only ones who would receive a souvenir. The resort would also give the cubs some toys and snacks as gifts.
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"Sweetheart," Curtis said, entering the scene with a basket of freshly cleaned clothes hanging from his arm. "No clean clothes for Vick. Karrak took them." He frowned when he saw the pile of cubs surrounding me, preventing him from hugging me.
"How do I look, Princess?" Romeo followed behind him, wearing a matching pair of black pants and a vest. Seeing him in anything besides his suit and coat was odd, so I said the first thing that came into my mind.
"Like a primitive monkey."
Romeo smiled, "What kind?"
"A chimpanzee," I said.
Romeo shook his head, "Try again."
I studied his facial features, his body shape, his movements and answered a bit disappointedly, "A human."
Romeo clapped his hands as if I were a child who got a correct answer, "Now you just need to add an adjective like handsome, smoking hot, or drop-dead gorgeous."
Curtis fished me out with his tail, and the pile of cubs toppled over.
I gave Romeo a once over and said, "Sexy."
"Yes, Princess. Now we're talking," he said and raised my hand to kiss the back of it.
Bart jumped on his back, "Welcome home. You came at the right time. We need an extra pair of hands to carry the cubs to their pelts."
Romeo didn't complain. He went straight to the task. He carefully scoped out a bundle of cubs, and the rest of the boys followed his lead.
"So many..." Curtis complained and placed me on his shoulders while Skaris stacked cubs on his long tail.
The nursery for the guests' cubs was built a little further away, and a wall was around it for safety reasons.
After we deposited the cubs in their beds, we returned to the manor to pick up Muir from work.
I glanced at the invisible silhouette that merged with the manor's outer ring. "Don't bother," I told the shadow. He could conceal himself from anyone but me.
His silhouette faded, revealing a handsome man with white hair and dark blue eyes. His injuries were completely healed. I held back, so of course they would.
"I wasn't," he said, "Just waiting for the right moment to show up."
"You told Nivi you will be right back. She had been looking forward to your appearance the whole time."
He gave my boys an odd look, "They put me under house arrest and prohibited me from talking to Nivi. Tell them they can't keep me locked up forever. I'm going to die soon at this rate."
"Die faster, then," I said, taking off my burka and taking in some fresh air.
"..." He remained silent, following us inside the manor.
I could be pissed at Dickhead however I liked, but in the end, he was still a member of the pack. Nobody was going to abandon him. No matter who he became, or what he did.
That's what being a family meant, to be there for each other even when the other wasn't in their right mind.
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The waterfall inside the valley was loud, and the rushing water covered up any sound coming from our surroundings. It was good against beastmen with good hearing, and if anyone were to follow us, they wouldn't be able to eavesdrop.
I placed the phone on the table. The metal bangle began to morph and shape until it resembled a picture frame. The thin screen in the middle flickered to life, and a hooded man appeared.
The other end of the line was silent for a while before a deep, masculine voice replied, "Yaya."
My heart skipped a beat. How could the way he called out my name hold so much weight? I was sure it was me who began to introduce myself to others as Yaya. But it didn't sound like that when it came from his mouth.
"Karrak," Skaris waved at the screen, his voice playful. "Are you coming too?"
Karrak raised his hand and waved back, "I'll enjoy the show from afar. Don't mind me." He looked back at me and waited, "What can I help you with?"
I opened my mouth and closed it. The words stuck in my throat. It felt as if a huge rock had gotten lodged in there.
"Did something happen?" he asked.
I shook my head.
"Then what's the matter? Did I upset you in any way?"
I shook my head again.
"Good. If you're not upset, I don't have to kill anyone today," he said, his tone holding back a smile.
"What?"
"Hm?" he seemed surprised, "You said you were not upset. I thought it was a good day to celebrate."
The boys burst out laughing, their bodies bending over.
"Did you hear what he said?" Mitchell asked, his eyes tearing up.
"Yeah," Skaris nodded, slapping his thigh, "A good day to celebrate."
"It is," Curtis said, nodding with a smile.
"It's not a good day. It's an amazing day," Romeo said, chuckling at my expense.
Mitchell walked closer, leaning over the couch, "Why don't you show your face? We're dying to see you."
"It's better not to," Karrak replied, "I don't want Yaya to break the screen, but I guess I can send you a picture of us together. What do you think?"
The boys agreed. I stared at the screen, trying to remember everything about him when suddenly, someone appeared next to me and flipped the screen upside down.
I looked up.
Dickhead frowned at me and then at the screen under his hand. He didn't let go, and the frame started making disturbing noises.
"You're breaking it," I pointed at his hand.
He immediately let go, but his frown deepened. His eyes didn't move from the screen. I could see his chest rising and falling rapidly.
Vick has been consuming emeralds his whole life. They didn't fix his short lifespan. Instead, they caused his octopus side to manifest even more strongly, his genes reaching their full potential. A pinnacle of evolution, his cells were extremely hard to kill, and his strength, speed, and regenerative capabilities surpassed even a dragon's.
Instead of merging with the dragon genes, his cells began to dominate over them, causing his dragon side, which didn't even have a chance to show up, to become weaker and weaker.
He didn't lose his memories because they were never inside his head in the first place. I looked at his glowing chest. They were with the dragon. He was protecting it with his very soul. It was the only way for it to survive the onslaught of the octopus' genes.
He looked at the vulture that flew inside the living room with an envelope, a vein pulsating on his forehead.
Mitchell reached out and accepted the envelope.
I then opened it before everyone.
Inside, there was a picture of Karrak and me together. The image captured us at an awkward angle. His bluish-green hair looked like a bird nest, and mine had lost the fight with the wind, strands flying everywhere.
Karrak's chin was resting on the top of my head, and our eyes were looking at different directions. He was holding my chin with one hand, forcing me to look at the camera, while the other was raised, trying to take a picture of us.
I didn't remember this. It was a memory I didn't possess, and it hurt. My chest burned. I could feel the fire licking the back of my eyes.
"When was that taken?" Skaris asked, "I thought Vick was your first male, Dear? You two look close."
I couldn't say. I didn't know.
Crack.
We looked at Vick's hands. A broken frame lay on the table, a thin line running across the screen. He blinked and then looked down at the broken phone. "..." he seemed speechless, the veins on his neck pulsating.
The screen flickered again. It was still working, even after he almost crushed it. Karrak's image appeared on the screen, and the background was blurry, making him seem out of focus.
"Do you like it?" Karrak asked, his tone calm and patient, "I don't really like pictures of myself. But you were in it, so I kept it."
"No," Vick opened his mouth and said, his voice coming out rough and coarse, "She doesn't like it. Not at all. Not even a little bit. Not even a little tiny bit."
I blinked.
The boys looked at him.
The vulture looked at him.
Even the bugs and the trees outside the manor looked at him.
I looked at him, too.
╔═══ Author's note ════╗
Not Vick losing his composure for not being YY's first. 🤣 His head male position will be at risk if he doesn't do something soon.
We've been introduced to Karrak's dark side, now let us see what he got that YY fell so hard for him. 🤭 What did they have to go through together that brought them so close in the end? It seemed to be during YY's worst days, where the only light that kept her from the edge was KK's existence. 👀
Did YaYa's nickname originated from him? 😩
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