Capítulo 102: 102 - Females from The City of Flame (2.94 k words)
3rd person POV
A group of ten females and an army of scorpions resurfaced from the ground near the Cloud Nine resort.
A lot happened in these female's lives after they were kidnapped into the City of Flame. Their previous mates failed to protect them, so they were forced to defend themselves and their future on their own.
Lia's toned body was clad in light robes, her blond hair braided into a long ponytail that fell all the way down to her hips. In her right arm, she carried a basket with a dozen scorpion cubs.
The youngsters were excited to reunite with their friends, their tiny stingers wiggling from side to side as they chatted away in their beast language.
Their scorpion mates, who worked in the resort, awaited their arrival.
Lia rushed toward Fell, throwing herself into his embrace.
"Lia," Fell caught her body, holding her close, "I missed you so much."
"I missed you too," Lia giggled as Fell led the females into one of the spring houses.
The scorpion army scattered under the ground. On their way, they sent their scorpion cubs to the nursery.
Lia felt a bit insecure whenever Fell took care of other females, especially the beautiful ones like the mermaids. Even though he assured her many times that he only did it to earn clear crystals for her, it still bothered her.
There was a case of a male betraying his female for another ─ Bart, a male, who had been mated to Rosa.
Mention the name Rosa, and here she came, walking with her two peacock mates in tow. Her mouth opened and closed as if speaking, but no voice came out. Her tongue was cut off.
Rosa looked at the group of females with hateful eyes but quickly lowered her head and scurried away when Fell gave her a "behave" look.
Fell told Lia that Bart was the one to do the "silencing." Nobody knew the reason why he did that, but they could guess.
Lia shuddered when she saw a snake feral carry an unconscious female, covered in blood, toward the resort's territory. He seemed tired and was also covered in dirt and many injuries. It almost looked like he had just kidnapped a female from the beastmen's village and traveled all the way here.
Muir flew down from the sky, landing right before the snake feral, "Your female needs medical attention," he said in a flat tone.
"I'm aware," the snake beastman hissed back, showing his fangs, "She deserves to be injured for what she did. My spousal imprint was removed, and we are both going to suffer because of it."
"You can pay one clear crystal for her stay or two if you want to stay with her," Muir ignored the snake's hissing and treated him as any other guest, "Or both of you leave this place and die together."
The snake beastman gritted his teeth and gave Muir ten clear crystals. Muir changed into his eagle form and brought them to a particular spring house, where the female could receive treatment from scorpion healers.
The Scorpion King had all his people learn medical skills to treat their females if they were injured or ill. The massages taught them a lot about a female's anatomy. What was next was to buy herbs from the Cloud Nine marketplace and learn their medical uses and benefits.
You could trade anything in the Cloud Nine marketplace, even your knowledge. Which was what a few ape healers did.
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Inside the hot spring house were several pools, big enough for twenty people to lounge in. The water was filled with a pleasant scent and the color of the evening sun.
"It's like a reward for surviving through the long trip and harsh training," one of the females said, immediately diving into the water, "Come join me!"
"Coming!" Lia and the others joined her, and the females chatted while bathing in the warm water.
"I wish they could be here with me," one of the females hitched before breaking into tears.
Lia's eyes softened, knowing the female was referring to her dead mates and family members.
"I feel the same," another female sniffled, "I miss my boring life. The dull, peaceful, and quiet, like we're having in this moment."
The females hugged each other and cried, releasing all the pent-up stress, grief, and trauma they experienced in the City of Flames. In the end, their crying session turned into laughter and giggles.
Lia didn't turn a male into a rootless before, but many females in the Flame City did. The Scorpion King often blamed those females for being the root of the problem, but was willing to give them a second chance for his people's sake.
"I want to leave the City of Flame and move to Tiger Queen's territory," a female suddenly blurted out.
They didn't have much access to the outside world, but they stumbled upon a few unfortunate beastmen during their breaks on their way here.
The beastmen tried to save them from the scorpions, but they were forced to flee before getting killed themselves. While doing so, they praised the Tiger Queen and King, who protected their people and kept them safe.
"Yeah," another female said, not realizing how sad it made their males, who listened on, feel. "You don't have to pay to live there. A lot of food and supplies are also given out for free. No one's forcing their females to fight and become warriors either."
"Are we not good enough for you?" Fell couldn't hold it back and interrupted, "Do you not like us anymore?"
"No, it's not what we meant," Lia and the other females shook their heads, "We want to take you with us. We didn't mean anything bad. The Tiger Queen accepted a feral mate, so she might accept you, too. Doesn't the Scorpion King's female live wherever she wants? Why doesn't she have to stay in the Flame City like the rest of us?"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk," a dark voice suddenly sounded in the spring house, a large shadow cast by the dim light appeared on the wall and floor, "It looks like someone is a bit confused about their place and position in this world. Comparing yourself with a female of The Scorpion King's rank and status? Who do you think you are, exactly?"
His voice was deep, cold, and full of sarcasm. Everyone froze in their place, and the females paled at the presence of the familiar figure.
"Your Majesty," the males greeted him. They quickly helped their females out of the hot springs and dressed up before bowing to him.
"Your Majesty, " Lia gathered some courage and stepped forward when the Scorpion King appeared from behind the bamboo screen, "We want to rest when we want. We want to train when we want. We don't want to fight. We are tired and want to live a peaceful life."
"What did that peaceful life lead you to? What did your freedom bring you? Did it save your males? Did it help your keep your old home?" the Scorpion King asked, his voice was like a knife, slicing the air, "Did it help you protect yourself? Did it lead you to the life of luxury and leisure?"
"No," Lia admitted, her head low, "But your female lives a life of luxury. She's free and doesn't have to suffer. Why can't we have the same fate?"
The Scorpion King stepped forward, his shadow falling over Lia, "Do you want to switch places with her? Do you want to become my mate, or do you want the benefits everyone is so jealous of?"
Lia gulped, unable to answer.
The Tiger Queen had incredibly powerful mates, and her contributions were worthy of their attention, but the same couldn't be said about The Scorpion King's female: She was an enigma to all, and no one knew who she was or why so many powerful males were attracted to her.
Many females began imagining themselves in her shoes. Her veil only helped them see their fantasies clearer. The idea of making a dangerous feral or a rootless fall for them and pamper them was alluring. It was like a poisonous fruit that couldn't be resisted, no matter how dangerous or poisonous it was.
The scars on Curtis's body no longer seemed as ugly as the males made them out to be.
Muir's detached personality and cool attitude made them want to be the one to melt his heart.
Gold's rough attitude didn't stop the females from dreaming about making him fall for them and become gentle and soft.
Skaris's intimidating appearance was like a challenge for many. It would make anyone feel special if they could get close to him and make him smile.
Bart's four stripes were the envy of all males. Rosa was just an excuse to hate on him, but in truth, they all wanted a taste of the glory, the taste of leaving an abusive female and the power to choose another and not give a single crap about how others perceived him or felt about him. He became a symbol of every male's wildest fantasy.
The masked female's males were all dangerous and untouchable, but many females still imagined what it would be like to tame such dangerous males.
To have a head male like Vick built a whole theme park for them to play in, not just for the sake of survival; the idea alone made their heads dizzy.
Could they have been a better fit than her? Beauty-wise, personality-wise, or status-wise? They couldn't match up to the Tiger Queen, but somehow, they felt better than the Scorpion King's female.
Mitchell has noticed the change. Females ordering their males to take them outside the villages were more common, and their attitudes were different. It wasn't as fearful or as humble. They were bolder and less appreciative until the danger of the jungle gave them a slap in the face, bringing them back to reality (the unconscious female the snake feral brought to the resort was only one out of many).
Who was to blame? Who should be the scapegoat for the females' disobedience? The Ape King seemed to have a clear answer, but let's leave that matter for later.
"The females from the City of Flame are proud, loyal, and strong. The females from the City of Flames don't abandon their family, their home, and their males for a better life. They seek it together," The Scorpion King said, his eyes staring down at the females, "The day you are loyal to my people is the day you will become one of us. Until then, you must earn the right to enjoy a nice bath, a hot meal, and a cozy bed."
The females lowered their heads, their shoulders drooping, "But it's too hard," they muttered.
The Scorpion King raised his stinger, his eyes gleaming, "I can always make it harder."
"No! Please, forgive us!" the females shrieked, their faces white, "Please, Your Majesty."
"So? Will you do whatever is necessary to become a true female of the City of Flame, or do you need a few more days in the wilderness?"
"We'll try," the females nodded, "We will work harder."
"Good," The Scorpion King retracted his stinger, "If you can't be trusted, you will be a prisoner for the rest of your life. And for prisoners, you are entitled to a cage and a collar," he glanced at their necks, "Hm? But none of you have a collar, yet. How come?" He snapped his fingers, "Oh, yes. It's because I let you off the hook. My mistake, then. Let me fix that."
"We will train harder, we promise," the females pleaded, their eyes wet, "Please, forgive us. We won't slack off. We will do our best."
"Good," The Scorpion King smirked, his voice a lot lighter and more cheerful, "I'm glad you came to your senses. You know too much to be set free. That would be too irresponsible of me. Goodbye, then. Enjoy your bath. Your males have worked hard for this. I'll see myself out. Oh, and, before I forget what I came here for," he stopped, "Tomorrow morning, I'm going to hold a competition. The best females get to stay in Cloud Nine. The ones who fail will be sent back to the Flame City," he said before leaving; his footsteps were light and casual.
The females and their males let out a sigh of relief, their bodies shaking and covered with cold sweat.
"We just arrived, and he already wants to send us back," the female complained, her tone whiny and bitter.
The males tried to comfort them, telling them they didn't have to worry and that the females could do it. "Your muscles must be tense after the long trip. Let us help you relax. It will make you feel better and prepare your mind and body for tomorrow morning."
"We would have to serve and obey no matter what territory we join," Fell whispered while massaging Lia's legs, "Here, we only have to deal with the Scorpion King. In the Tiger Queen's territory, we would have to deal with all the beastmen and females that live there. Imagine a situation when we lose our favor with The Scorpion King."
He continued, "They would turn against us without a second thought. Now, no matter how many stripes we have, as long as you're a scorpion, no one will ever disrespect or mistreat you. I wish you could feel as proud to be a citizen of the City of Flames as me one day, Lia."
Lia pouted but didn't argue.
"We just wanted to complain a bit before our males. What's wrong with that?" the females muttered. "Who knew the Scorpion King would hear us? He probably hates us even more now."
"He doesn't. You can tell because he didn't punish us. He just scolded us and left," another male said, "The Scorpion King doesn't act on his emotions. He acts on logic and reason. Don't worry. He would never do something unfair."
The females nodded, their mood a little better.
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"The Tiger Queen should be returning from her trip into the ocean soon," Fell kissed Lia's forehead, "I have to leave for work now. I will return when I'm done."
Lia kissed him goodbye and watched him walk away. Soon, a group of mermaids visited them.
"You've gotten more beautiful," the red-haired mermaid, Mandy, commented with a stiff smile.
"Thank you," Lia replied, allowing the mermaids to join them inside the hot springs, "You look more stunning as well."
"Of course, we do," the pink-haired mermaid, answered with a haughty attitude, "Mermaids are the most beautiful race, after all."
"One that gets locked inside sea caves and only sees the sunlight when they're allowed out," Lia rolled her eyes and whispered the last part.
Except for Mandy, the mermaids used to laugh at the "scorpion" females for their looks and call them names. In response, the "scorpion" females raised their fists and hit a tree trunk or whatever was available, causing it to crack and break. All the mermaids shut their mouths and backed off after witnessing what could happen to their pretty faces if they provoked the other party.
Their males had good relationships with each other, so the girls eventually bonded. They shared their past, realizing their situation was not as glorious as they imagined. Having a scorpion wasn't all about getting the best massages. On the other hand, the mermen had beauty but lacked brains.
Both groups realized that they had a lot in common. Their current lifestyle wasn't worth giving up, so the complaints were more out of habit than actual feelings.
"Ugh, it's annoying when they refuse to go against their Kings. They say they love and care about our happiness, but when I say I want to visit you in the City Of Flames, they keep saying no," a mermaid rolled her eyes while sipping on her cold drink, "And that's after they're done having fun and satisfying their needs."
"Same," the scorpion female said, "I wanted to visit my old tribe, but they said no. Even when I explained how much I wanted to show off my clothes and jewelry to the females there. I'm not stupid to leave all these riches for a dirty old hut, you know?"
"They are afraid we will share their knowledge and secrets with other tribes like the Tiger Queen and The Ape King. If that were the case, they would easily lose their power and prestige. But it's not like we will," another added, "It's just a visit."
"Exactly," the females and mermaids agreed. "We can keep a secret. Why are they so paranoid? Do we look like the kind of females who would sell them out?"
The girls looked at each other, and yes, they did look the part. They used to be pampered, spoiled, and entitled females who wanted things their way. Then a bunch of crazy beastmen kidnapped them and forced them into this new lifestyle.
Lia coughed, trying to break the awkward silence, "The Scorpion King didn't prohibit us from meeting his female. Why don't we visit her together?"
"Sure, why not?" the others agreed. "If anyone can convince them and speak up for us, it's her."
╔═══ Author's note ════╗
Not their males' wealth and connections with Cloud Nine holding back these females from leaving them for the legular, but poor beastmen. 🤣
Yaya oftend stands by her words, like when she said she was more popular with the girls than the boys, lol. 😁
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