The Beasts Within

CHAPTER III: AMANA

A couple of rabbits, a fox and a badger later, Myrinna calls her hunt off. It wasn’t a bad haul for today, considering it has only been a couple of hours of hunting. And in the brighter parts of the forest, too. Though the darker areas of the woods have proven to yield larger prey for her, it wasn’t the safest place to find food.

It’s true that larger animals such as wolves and felines would expand her supplies more than the critters she just caught, especially if she preserves and prepares them properly. However, going into those parts of the woods will require anyone to cleanse themselves mentally and psychologically once they’re done with their hunt.

Not that I’m affected by anything magical or spiritual, Myrinna tells herself while bleeding out her catch at a nearby stream.  

For some unknown reason, magic has never worked on her before and at all. But even she, despite her immunity to sorcery or enchantments, would get that feeling of infection upon entering the cursed forest’s infamous pitch-black spots.

Think of it as taking a mud dive just because you decided to jump into a swamp. 

But right now, since I’ll be visiting Amana, I have no time to “clean” myself after a mucky bath even if it’s just internally. So yep, we will have to settle for small fry for this picnic. 

She climbs one of the oldest and tallest trees, her strong, sinewy arms making short work of the distance to the top. With extreme skill, she crouches at the highest limb that can support her weight then views the whole area in less than a minute. 

Ah, there’s Amana! 

Upon finding her target, Myrinna then expertly jumps from tree to tree via their branches the same way parkour tracers or ninja assassins would do it.

As she swings from branch to branch, she reviews the dream in her head, taking into account the best and most significant scenes that she can share. She ignores the continuous scratching of her catch swinging from a leather strap hanging on her tanned and smooth back, so she can focus on her thoughts.

Who is that burning woman in the red gown?

Somehow Myrinna knows that this female character was the main protagonist in her dream because she definitely feels a connection to her. Also, the same woman has been in her other dreams before but the one from last night was pretty vivid. There was no way she was going to forget that vision any time soon. 

But why, no matter how many times I’ve seen her in my dreams or how strong the connection may be, why don’t I remember her at…

Wait, what was that?

A sudden gust of wind hits Myrinna, causing her to land on one of the larger branches of an aged gigantic tree. She pauses for a bit. It seems there was something odd about that gush of air. 

Her slanting almond-shaped, violet eyes start to search the trees around her. Her naturally red lips twist as she strains her dainty, well-shaped ears to listen for anything out of the ordinary. Her small button nose sniffs the air fervently for strange scents. All the while, she manages to take this time to comb her hair with her long, slender but strong fingers in an effort to keep her wavy, silvery mane in place while still studying her surroundings.

For a few more moments, she waited.

Still nothing.

Oh well, on with traveling… 

Myrinna’s friend moves to a new location at least once a week, unlike this female hunter who has chosen an out-of-the-way cave as her permanent residence. So yes, a visit would always equate to a journey that involves acrobatics and stamina for the she-warrior.

Not that it bothers the sss that much, since she also wants to keep some semblance of privacy between them, even if she treats Amana like a mother. Besides, despite the effort and distance of her travel, she doesn’t even break a sweat.

Yep, I’m near. Though I’m still a few meters away, Amana is already gushing out a greeting with that shaky but sweet voice of hers. And boy is she loud today!

“Myrinnaaaaa dear girl! I’m so happy that you’ve found time to visit your old friend! And are these bite-sized critters all for me? You are getting really good at hunting now, aren’t you? And I think you’re getting more beautiful each time I see you, too.

The sss gracefully lands on one of Amana’s large branches, despite the height and length of her last leap. She shakes her head in disbelief before replying, ”Amana, I will say thank you for the first part of what you said but the rest is total bullshit. Don’t do that again!”

The two friends hug each other tightly. Well, it was a bit difficult for a very tall, almost leafless, and semi-scrawny tree to hug a 5’4” curvaceous jungle girl but they somehow manage it.

And yes, Amana is an ent. 

Amana is the last of her line of humans who can transform into trees. She used to be a beautiful woman who can shapeshift into one of the tallest, most majestic Molave trees in that forest. Due to extreme age, however, her tree form has now been reduced to almost-leafless branches, a half-dried out but still massive trunk and thinning wobbly roots.

Even so, her personality remains as sparkly as the many forest streams that nourish her daily.

”That was not bullshit, girl, I’m only telling you the truth! You used to be all skin and bones straighter than my dried out trunk. But now, that magnificent rack of yours can’t be contained with leather bindings anymore. I tell you, you should NOT hide your curves. Your breasts are just the perfect size to offset your hips and your ass! How are you going to show off that nice waist of yours if there’s no balance.” 

Marina slaps the branch that she’s sitting on as her eyes widen in shock, ”What?! Where the hell do you pick these things up?”

”Remember, I wasn’t always just this old tree, girl! I know that I can’t shift to my human form anymore because of my unbelievably old age. But even if I can’t change back, I still remember how it feels to be a young woman, alright? So don’t you sass me for telling the truth on your sexy little booty!”

Both women laughed. Although Amana’s laughter was obviously louder, deeper, and longer since she IS in her tree form.

”Damn Amana, what has gotten into you?! This is the first time I have ever heard you talking about those kinds of things,” the hunter girl asks in a puzzled tone as she starts to clean out the innards of her recent kill with her long, sharp stone knife.

“It just came to me, seeing you flipping over those branches as you approached me, Myrinna. The realization that you are no longer a child! You’re a full-fledged woman now and I only get to see that today, silly me. Oh, where did the time go?”

”All that time is stored within you because you’re officially the oldest shapeshifter in the world. Mama Amana.”

”Rightly said, daughter Myrinna,” the bare-branched Molave confidently states. She then bursts out into a happy and raspy cackle that was louder than before.

This time, however, Myrinna couldn’t laugh alongside her happy tree friend. Even as she put aside the skinned carcasses of the animals she hunted, it was obvious that something is truly bothering her… 

“Except in my case, I don’t even know if I’ll ever have a beast side,” the sss sighs. “I mean we’ve tried everything, right?! It’s supposed to be automatic once I reach a certain age but I’m sure that I’m way past puberty now!”

Silence…except for the usual forest ambient noises of flora and fauna.

“Am I really the only one in this damn planet that can’t turn into a beast or magical being?” Myrinna then slumps down in a cross-legged position, places her hands under her chin and pouts miserably, “And why is that? It’s not fair!”

The old tree studies the girl’s rounded face intently. Amana’s own face, which was etched into the upper part of her massive but weathered trunk, was expressing a similar feeling of misery. Normally, she should take pity on this vulnerable human woman since she’s feeling so hurt over not having a beast form. However, she knows she can’t say anything at the moment. 

For her own safety, I can’t tell her the truth. Not yet. Time to change the subject…

“Awww, do you realize how cute you look, Myrinna.”

The warrior woman throws her happy tree friend an irritated look, ”I was being serious, you know?”

Alright, it’s working…

Amana then focused on how cute and charming Myrinna looked sitting and pouting like that, pushing aside the troubling secret that she’s hiding. It was easier to blurt out her thoughts then…

“Well, I’m sorry for hurting you, dear. But I really can’t help it because that look of yours reminds me of the times when you were younger and feeling so awful. Sooo darn cute you are still, even if you’re a grown woman, haha!”

Myrinna throws her guardian and mentor an even darker look. Meanwhile, the she-tree tries her best to stop herself from laughing out loud since her mission is accomplished.

Oh, my gosh this girl IS gorgeous when she’s mad. Just have to shut up about it, though, or she might carve her initials in my trunk without me knowing. 

Just then, another pair comes into view. They were in the tree-lined distance,  walking slowly towards them. It was a man and a woman with two small packages in hand and they were looking eagerly towards the female tree. They are having difficulty walking through the pathless clearing but it is clear that they intend to get to Amana’s spot as fast as they can. 

The large tree squeals delightedly, suddenly remembering something upon seeing the humans approaching them.

”Well child, I will make it up to you. Those two…” Amana stretches out her finger, which was actually a long thin twig attached to her woody hands, and points at the walking pair, “…have brought me something to share with you and I’m sure you’ll love it.”

”You do remember that I’m not exactly fond of people, right?”

”Don’t worry my dear, they won’t be staying long. I’ll just be handing them a potion to heal their daughter, then they’ll leave us their offerings. They’ll be on their way home before you know it.”

Myrinna’s face perks up just a little at the word “offerings”. It’s been a while since she has received one so she finds herself smiling just a little. 

Despite the jokes and those weird statements, I am just so happy I still have her to talk to.

“Hello dear travelers!” Amana’s tone was warm and welcoming. She speaks as soon as the couple was within earshot, “I’m so glad you made it. You have probably heard of my daughter, also known as ‘The Fierce She-Beast of the Cursed Jungle’, right? Well, here she is! I hope you brought her an extra offering since it’s tradition when you enter our woods.”

The middle-aged man and woman remain silent while staring up at the tall, majestic magical being in front of them. It’s typical for people like them to be awestruck by such a view but their facial expressions were a bit off…

They actually look too scared to speak.

Are they suddenly frightened of me? I understand that my hate for humans is quite well-known around these parts but…

Suddenly, Myrinna feels, smells, and hears swift staccato movements going through the other green leafy branches of the forest around them. She automatically goes into a battle stance…

Something is wrong. It’s not me that they’re afraid of.

The she-warrior realizes that these are the ones responsible for that mysterious gust of wind she encountered earlier. She immediately slinks deep into hiding among what remains as shadows in Amana’s trunk and branches.

Amana, who was also her mentor in magic, hunting, and combat, takes her surrogate daughter’s cue. She forces herself to smile into the green expanse of the forest while motioning the frightened couple in front of her to use her as shelter from whatever it was that’s out there.

“May I say, this is an absolute pleasure,” the female tree says to the foliage in front of her, her cheery tone masking her true feeling of alarm and caution. 

Keep talking Amana, while I feel out our enemy…