The Village ( Part I I)

Without further ado, Yunxi walked into the hut , leaving Nalan and Liena outside.

" Xia ... it smells of humans, doesn't it ?" Yunxi asked the now visible Xia sitting on her shoulders.

( Yes...and distinct smell of another creature. I can't tell what it is , but I am sure the strong smell is of Humans. )

" That means the last inhabitants are humans. This village is..."

Just then , Nalan and Liena entered the empty hut to find Yunxi standing in the middle of the hut with Xia on her shoulders. Their entrance interrupted her speech.

" What's wrong?" Nalan walked forward, stood beside her and asked.

" Hungry." Yunxi answered dryly.

" Huh?!" Nalan stared wide eyed at Yunxi after hearing her reply, while Liena chuckled.

Yunxi sighed tiredly, and found a corner to sit in the hut. The hut was bare, and devoid of any furniture. They could only sit on the ground.

" There's something fishy about this village. I get these…feelings, like something bad is going to happen. Yunxi, is that how you feel?" Nalan asked after making herself comfortable on the ground.

In response, Yunxi directed her gaze to Liena.

" What ? Why are you looking at me that way?"

Yunxi blinked innocently and replied with a laid back tone, " You know the answer more than I do. So.. explain it . "

Liena was a little surprised before her expression became normal again.

The truth is Yunxi found it tiring to explain to Nalan, so she pushed it onto Liena.

" How did you discover? We just got here together. Are you -?"

Yunxi averted her eyes, twirling one of her daggers between her fingers, " I was merely affirming your intelligence. "

Liena:"....."

She was attacked by her master again!!! What crime did she commit?!

" As always, your ruthless behavior never changes, master ~"

The words were spoken passionately, and Nalan had expected Yunxi to keep mute, as she always did.

To her surprise, Yunxi just nodded and said in a soft tone, " That's who I am. It's great if you get used to it early on. "

Nalan glanced at Liena sporting an aghast face.

For Nalan had stared too much, Liena feeling the piercing gaze, slightly coughed, in pretense of clearing her throat, diffusing the tense atmosphere.

" Umm…come here. I will tell you. "

Liena motioned for Nalan to come sit beside her which she did.

Nalan stood up and sat beside Liena on the carpet she had initially spread upon them entering the hut.

" Okay! You can start." With a packet of biscuits in hand, Nalan looked tempestuously at Liena.

Liena's breath hitched as her eyes gazed at the face in front of her. She watched as the temptress picked up a biscuit and slightly bit into it.

Crunch!

That sound snapped her out of her stunned state. She quickly calmed herself , and started speaking.

" A civilization appearing after one exits an hellish environment…isn't it suspicious?" Liena asked.

Nalan swallowed the mashed up biscuit in her mouth before replying, " Yes. It is suspicious. "

" Why ?"

" Umm…that…I.." Nalan picked at her fingers and looked away, avoiding Liena's eyes.

Liena, seeing her reaction and hearing her broken sentence…her eyes twitched. She looked at Yunxi who had her eyes closed and wasn't paying attention to them.

' That girl! She intentionally did this!!'

" Hmph! Yunxi said you should tell me . Why are you asking me questions?" Nalan pursed her lips, and asked in an aggrieved tone.

Liena's attention was back to Nalan. She was torn between going towards Yunxi and getting an explanation from her or knocking some senses into the head of the girl sitting right Infront of her.

Honestly, truthfully, and realistically, she would go with the latter. The few moments she had spent around them, had made her understand their behaviors a bit. From her observation, she knows she couldn't win an argument with Yunxi.

" You are really….*sigh* . Anyway, this village existing is suspicious. The place we came from has numerous and dangerous monsters…beasts…roaming in it. A peaceful, harmonious village existing just outside it…Do you get it ?" Liena tried as much as possible to break her words down to the level of Nalan, but…. From her confused expression, Liena knew that she didn't understand at all.

" What I am saying is-"

" Keep quiet." Yunxi suddenly said, stopping Liena from continuing her words.

The two females looked over to see Yunxi staring intently at the door. Immediately, a knock resounded.

Yunxi turned to Nalan, with her cold eyes. Meeting her gaze, Nalan gulped down her saliva, kept her unfinished biscuits, and stood up to attend to the person behind the stone door.

She opened the door, and a beautiful woman around the age of twenty was standing outside holding a tray of food. Her beauty wasn't anywhere near their level, but she stood out. With her pale face without blemishes, black hair , brown eyes, moderate bosom and behind, she looked attractive.

" Here. " She stretched forth the tray with a small smile on her face. Nalan collected it and thanked her cheerfully, which the woman shyly answered and retreated as fast as she could.

Nalan stared at the direction the woman fled to before shrugging, and closing the door.

She placed the tray on the floor, and uncovered the stone bowl. A spicy smell wafted out. Inside was …chicken soup?

" What is this?" Nalan's hand was already going to pick up a …chicken leg?

" Don't." Yunxi said.

Nalan quickly retracted her hand, " I was just trying to check what kind of meat it is." She defended herself.

" How ? By eating it? Stupid. "

Nalan whimpered at Yunxi words. She looked hurt .

" You have a bowl with a lid , don't you? Pour it into your bowl, and keep it . We won't eat this. " Liena moved towards Nalan, and said.

Nalan did as she was told, Liena helping her. Afterwards, Nalan stared at the biscuits in her hands, and looked at Yunxi. She repeated the cycle for a while, until Yunxi's patience snapped.

She threw a pack of fruit towards her, and closed her eyes. Xia jumped down from her shoulders and walked up to the two.

" What kind of beast are you? You eat the food of humans." Liena said as she rumpled Xia's fur.

And Xia replied her with a look of , " Look who's talking? Aren't you a demon? Why are you eating the food of humans?"

Liena laughed softly, at Xia's expression. She broke a piece of apple-like fruit into two equal parts with her bare hands, and placed one part in Xia's paw.

Seeing the fruit in her paws, Xia no longer felt aggrieved and walked into Liena's arms, found a comfortable position to sit, and started eating.

Nalan smiled seeing them getting along, while Liena's eyebrows kept twitching in anger.

When they first met , Xia had treated her as an enemy. But now that she offered her fruit, she became her friend. What thinking!

' Should I do that for her owner to get her approval? What should I give her ?' Liena thought.