The Birth of the New World

Occasionally, as we walk down the highway, I will point some things out and name them for her. She'll mimic it and point, and I’ll correct any mistakes.

For now, I just keep it to simple words and names. Not bothering with correcting any grammar mistakes unless they are necessary, English is already an annoying enough language to learn as it is.

Vocabulary is more important at the start for learning a new language if what I learned in school is anything to go by. Not that my own experience with learning other languages is anything too particularly amazing. I remember almost crying tears of joy when I managed to pass Spanish III with a D+ in my third year. I can only shudder as I imagine how bad it could have been if my past-self had chosen French to learn instead. Thoughts like those are the stuff of nightmares.

Our rest break ends up being rather entertaining as I pull out some of my remaining jerky that I have packed away. Sky’s shyness is basically blown away on the spot and she practically throws herself at me when I offer her some of the jerky.

As far as I know, Kobolds are omnivores like humans, but they are much closer to being carnivores than we are. Humans on the other hand were always supposed to lean closer to being herbivores, relying mostly on grains, greens and fruit, but our intelligence and the invention of animal husbandry basically told evolution to go screw itself because meat tastes good and we want lots of it. While Kobold can certainly live off nothing but fruits and veggies from what I understand, their craving for meat is much stronger than humans, basically the same as putting a cake covered in candy in front of a fat kid; they just can’t help themselves.

Once she is done enjoying her jerky and we are getting ready to resume are journey, I make a show of packing two of my remaining three bags of jerky into her basket pack along with two bottles of water for her to keep. I have to forcibly stop myself from tackling her to the ground and petting her again as her big yellow eyes start to radiate with pure happiness and excitement. She’s simply too cute for my lonely demon heart to handle.

We walk hand in hand for the rest of the day as I continue teaching her some simple vocabulary.

In the afternoon we find ourselves a gas station to stay the night, it is thankfully devoid of any current residents, so we get to have a peaceful night. Sky only searches around the building for loot for a short while before giving up and passing out with her head on my lap. She’s had a long and stressful day, so I can’t blame her for being exhausted. Covering her in a blanket, I let her rest as I work on adding tail holes to some more of my new jeans. Occasionally, I will pet her head and help her calm down if she starts moving a bit in her sleep. I can only imagine what she is dreaming about, but I have my guesses.

As I work on my sewing, I think about how having a new companion is going to change things. For starters, we're going to need more food. I originally estimated on my food lasting me for about two more weeks tops, with rationing. However, that was before handing over a whole bag of jerky to the Kobolds and now two to Sky. Also, I have no idea how long those are going to last her, but considering how voraciously she and those other Kobolds ate that first bag, I honestly don’t see it lasting very long.

What food I have left is a single bag of jerky, a bunch of dried and salted nuts, berries, fruit, and veggies which is basically just trail mix, some food bars, and the last of my family’s canned food; I basically emptied the pantry when I left home. Except for the veggies growing in the back yard garden, which are now probably all ash. It’s all we had left, and I am thankful that the soldiers didn’t take it when they evacuated my family.

Luckily, due to my new biology, I don’t seem to need to eat as much as I used to. Recently I’ve been able to go a single meal for the day and feel just fine; even after spending all day walking for miles on end.

My body is just ridiculous, and I can’t wait to have a doctor try and figure out what the hell is going on inside of me. I will probably be either laughing my ass off or downright horrified when I hear the results, but I am looking forward to it none the less.

Still need to drink plenty of water though, no matter how weird my new body is, I still can’t go on forever without water.

In regard to Sky, I have no idea how much she needs to eat in order to stay healthy and happy, and I swore to myself that I would take responsibility for her, so I am going to need to pay attention to her and figure this stuff out. Being able to talk with each other will make that much easier, but I don’t expect her to just magically learn English in one day like some fantasy story character or something. That would just be ridiculous. Instead, I’ll focus on making sure that she learns important words and phrases first. Things like Help, Hungry, Tired, Hurt, Danger, Look over there, and whatever else. Survival and simple communication is far more important than properly learning an entire new language, that will come with time.

For handling food in the short term, I can probably just hunt for food. I don’t have my dad’s crossbow, I’m assuming he brought it with him when they left with the army, so hunting might be difficult. Regardless, I’ll manage it somehow, be it with traps or hunting with my bare hands if I have to.

Food aside, the major issue comes from my primary objective. I was already putting off thinking about how I am going to gain access to a freaking military base without ending up full of lead, but now I have a Kobold following me around. Despite their intelligence, people still largely consider them to be monsters. As far as I know, Sky could be considered a kill on sight target by the soldiers, and I highly doubt that she is bullet proof.

So now I not only need to find a way to get myself inside, but to also convince the soldiers to let a monster in as well.

Sneaking in is a possibility, but then I won’t be able to live peacefully with my family because I would be in constant hiding with Sky. If we were to be discovered, it would endanger not just us, but also my family for harboring monsters.

Of course, there is the choice of just leaving Sky behind, but I won’t even entertain that idea. I already swore that I would take responsibility for her, and I am not going to change that just to make my life a bit easier. At the present the only idea I can really come up with would be to approach some soldiers while they are outside the base and negotiate through them for access. Openly approaching the gates of the base would probably just get Sky or myself shot by snipers before I can even introduce myself. So, this is the only real option I can think of.

All in all, though I’ll just have to do my best once we get there. At the pace that we have been traveling, it should only take three or four more days to get there and then I can find us a place to stay while I plan things out.

“Haaa, it would be so much easier if I could just walk in and be with my family again. Just walk past the guards like, ‘Hi Bob, how’s the kids? Hope this weather isn’t treating you to bad.’ and he’s like, ‘Not as badly as my wife, hahaha, have yourself a good one and make sure to say hi to your folks for me, alright.’ And then I just go about my business without getting gunned down by a freaking mounted machine gun.” Talking in a gruff voice as I mime the metaphorical Bob the Gate Guard.

Down on my lap, Sky starts to stir a bit, most likely from me talking to myself, so I pet her head and tell her sorry.

Oh well, we’ll see when we get there, we still have time to figure things out…

With Sky back to peacefully sleeping, I continue my sewing work as I wait for the night to pass.

-Sky-

Sky! My name is Sky! Lain! Her name is Lain! I think to myself happily.

The moment when I realized that we didn’t even know each other’s names; oh, it was so embarrassing! To think that I never even thought to ask her name!

And after she was so kind to me no less. To take me in even after I become an outcast, instead of leaving me behind, as would be her right after what I had done. To, to make me hers!

When she held me in her arms as I grieved and comforted me, being wrapped up in her warmth. I was so embarrassed by my actions, being held with so much affection.

The embarrassment was too much for me, as we walked together, I couldn’t even look her in the eye, ‘Oh, those eyes! Even just thinking of them makes me shiver!’

And every time I smell my lingering scent on her I am freshly reminded of that night! Oh, I am so embarrassed! I can smell it, I completely lost control of myself and it’s not even that season yet! I hope she doesn’t think poorly of me like I am some rutting animal! I wouldn’t be able to live with myself!

But… I don’t think she does, not at all. How she holds my hand and lets me play with those majestic claws of hers, how she matches my pace as we walk despite me being slower than her, how she patiently teaches me her language and doesn’t get mad when I make mistakes, how she praises me for my success and pets my head with those wonderful hands!

And the meat! She gifted me with so much delicious meat, and it’s all for me!

How could I not fall in love with her!? She is my, my mate! She is mine!

I never thought it would be possible to be with someone from a different people, let alone with another woman. The idea of it was simply too foreign to me, something I would have never thought possible. But now that I have Lain, now that I can smell her scent mingling with mine, now that I can hear her voice, now that I can feel the touch of her flesh against my own; it just makes sense, how could it not?

When I was pursuing He who Strikes from the Green, my only thoughts were of power and position, of being the one to birth the child of the next chief. My only desire was for the power and authority that would come from being his mate and nothing else. I did not desire He Who Strikes from the Green, I only desired what I could get from him.

But with Lain, she is my desire. I want her everything to the point of wanting to be devoured by her! To meet my end by her claws and to be torn apart by those fangs! To have my last moments be seen by those eyes and those eyes alone! I want her with every fiber of my being, and I am so embarrassed!

Even as I fall asleep resting my head against her powerful but soft legs, as she gently pets my head with those wonderful, wonderful hands, as my every breath is filled with her scent, I can’t help but find myself falling for her even further into the damnation of my own desire.

Oh, how I long for the day when I can tell her how she makes me feel! When I can tell her that I love her!

Oh, how I long for her to embrace me once again! Ahhhhh! I’m so embarrassed!

That night, Sky had quite the wonderful dream.