Shit!
What exactly happened last night?
Visha looked down at her hands, the very same hands that touched them last night.
Don't panic! Why are you panicking? You did this yourself. You gave permission.
Visha was freaking out. This morning, she woke up wrapped in Xeno's embrace, her legs tangled with Uri's. Both men, so close, so utterly close.
At first, she was confused. She remembered hearing the sounds last night. For some reason, she didn't register how it affected her. All she knew was that she felt the shift in the air.
Her body hummed with anticipation, like electricity coursing through her. She felt their need and accepted it.
She, the same person who said she wouldn't stay, wanted to accept everything they had to offer. And for that one night, she did.
Although they didn't go any further than touching each other, it was unlike anything she had ever felt. Especially out in the open, where others could see and hear.
She revelled in it.
How was she supposed to leave when she started something like this? Was she planning to be a scumbag? She knew their hopes that she would stay with them.
She shouldn't have responded. Especially when Uri called her Sha'mīn. When asked why he called her that, he told her it was a representation of their relationship. For the snake people, calling their partner's mīn is a form of respect. It shows this is the person you have chosen for life.
Life. That means he expects her to stay.
As for Xeno, he hopped around all morning like a puppy rather than a tiger. Tigers don't have a name for something like that. A life partner. It is more of a declaration. Before the entire tribe, they will state they have the intention of being with this person.
Otherwise, they can pretty much mate with whomever they want. Some stay together for years before moving on. Others get together to have a child before moving on.
For either tribe, having a life partner isn't something that can be done casually. However, given their situation, no ceremony could be performed. Instead, Uri opted to use the name mīn without the ceremony, and Xeno told his and Nimo's parents.
Hearing all that, Visha couldn't say no, didn't want to. Because somewhere inside her, she wanted to stay. It hadn't been long, but she wanted to stay.
Another day of foraging yielded some more potatoes. With her Nature's Echo, which she called Echo, she was able to find edible mushrooms and roots.
This time, Uri made sure to guard them. And Visha, despite all her panic, was able to relax knowing he was watching over her.
The hunt was also fruitful. They found more Grivel. They were able to get a few hares and goats. Which thankfully looked like the animals she knew. What caused surprise was their size. The hares were as big as ostriches, and the goats were like cows.
All in all, it was a good harvest. And before the sun went down, they were able to secure the cave. A few more well-placed traps and some sharpened bone made her feel more secure.
It was night when the trouble happened. Everyone had once again taken a bath. Something Visha insisted on. Which meant nightly ginger water would become a common occurrence.
When they were in their own corner of the cave, Xeno finally couldn't help himself.
"Shasha, are you avoiding us?" His eyes bore into her.
She didn't even bother to look at Uri. That man's eyes could see everything. He was much more perceptive than Xeno.
"I'm not avoiding you," she glanced at Uri, "either of you."
"I'm just having a hard time. What happened yesterday...I'm not trying to..."
She wasn't sure how to put it into words. No matter what she said, it sounded like she was rejecting them. Maybe not in the true sense, because she admits she is attracted to them.
But sinking deeper into whatever this is doesn't help when she knows it might not last. Because how was she supposed to bring them home?
Her worries revolved around what might happen to them. She knew what the people of her world would do to them. If she were to go back, the government would ask questions. She might not even be able to live a normal life.
My life. How am I supposed to...?
It dawned on her that if she tried to go back. They would ask about her experiences. If they knew about this place, would they try to invade? The answer was yes. They would make it their life's mission to extract every piece of information she had.
Her life would never be the same again.
And Xeno and Uri, what if they came looking for her? Or if the government somehow found this place? Would they try to enslave them? Would it be an all-out war?
People aren't kind. They will plunder and leave this world with nothing. She hasn't even seen much of this world, but she knows it has immense value to her world. A world already on the brink of destruction.
As she thought about this, her pulse raced. Her breathing, coming out in short puffs. She forgot where she was. All she thought about was what might happen. She saw them invading and killing people. She saw Kit dying.
Their fears and sorrow, she saw it all.
Why was she thinking of going back to that place? What was there for her?
Although it was the world she had lived in her entire life, it hadn't been kind to her. She had to claw and scrape to get to the point of living the life she wanted now. There wasn't comfort until recently. So why was she clamouring to go back to such an unforgiving place?
She didn't want to go back.
Thinking of all the possibilities, her body shut down.
Uri and Xeno panicked as they watched Visha's eyes get wide. They watched in horror as she curled up and closed in on herself. Her breathing, first stable, started becoming more rapid. Her body trembled.
Xeno cradled her fragile form, looking at Uri as if hoping he would have answers. Unfortunately, none came.
Neither of them knew how to deal with this, so they went to Nimo and his parents. When they saw her, they were sure what to make of it either. All of them huddled around. Willa went to get ginger water, hoping to get her to drink it, but to no avail.
Her jaw was tightly clenched.
They tried calling her name. There was no response. In the end, the two could only go back to their little nest, hoping it would soon pass.
Xeno and Uri took turns cradling Visha, who, bright and vibrant minutes ago, had now become fragile.
Seeing her like this, Uri couldn't help kissing her lips. Small pecks, while calling her name.
"Sha'mīn, we're worried. Come back."
He brushed her hair, rocking her back and forth.
"Don't you see Xeno is worried. He's almost about to cry. We've only just gotten you."
Uri wasn't sure it was helping. He only knew that this made him feel better. If talking could help her and make him feel better, then he was willing to try.
"When I first saw you, your face was covered like that. I wondered what kind of creature you were. You smelled like a female; everything was covered with those strange clothes. But the smell of you fascinated me."
"Even Xeno. He might seem reckless, but if there hadn't been something about you, female or not, he might not have led you back here. He wouldn't put the lives of the people he loved in danger."
"It might have been the same with him. Your scent captivated him, leaving him weak to you. Every fibre of his being wants to somehow melt into you. A call from his soul that told him you were a part of us."
"Because that's what I felt. I don't feel worthy of you. But I can't give you up, neither of you. It might be selfish of me, but even with one arm, I can still be what you need. The three of us can still be a whole."
Xeno listened as he talked. He felt the words settle inside him. A call from his soul. That was what he couldn't put into words. Something bound them together. The elders in the tribe talked about it once.
People who were soul-bound. He thought of it like a story.
But he had never seen or experienced it. When he met Uri, he thought they were destined to be friends. Then they got closer, and he knew it was more than that.
But after meeting Visha, he was sure something had changed. He could figure out what it was. Hearing Uri say it now, he realised it might be a soul binding.
And he couldn't be happier. Now, if only Visha would wake up.