Chapter 27: Isabelle's Scheme

At the Gold Sun Tribe, the festivities had been in full swing, with music, laughter, and feasting filling the air. But amidst the joy and celebration, a sense of unease settled over the gathering. Ava, the daughter of Lion Chief Peter, had vanished.

At first, no one suspected anything out of the ordinary. Perhaps Ava had simply wandered off to explore the forest or to find a quiet spot to rest. But as the hours passed and Ava failed to return, a growing sense of concern began to spread.

Lion Chief Peter, Ava's father, was the first to sound the alarm. He gathered a group of males, including Fox Chief Charles, Ethan's father, and set out to search the forest for any sign of Ava.

The search party combed the forest, calling out Ava's name and listening for any response. But there was only silence. The forest seemed to swallow all sound, leaving the search party with nothing but an eerie quiet.

As the night began to deepen, the search party returned to the tribe, empty-handed and worried. Lion Chief Peter's face was etched with concern, his eyes scanning the horizon as if willing Ava to appear.

Fox Chief Charles placed a reassuring hand on Peter's shoulder. "We'll find her, Peter. I'm sure she's just lost or injured. We'll keep searching until we bring her home."

But little did they know, Ava's disappearance was no accident. Ethan and Isabelle, Ava's sister, had secretly joined forces with the stray beasts to orchestrate Ava's demise.

As the night wore on, the tribe's anxiety grew. Where was Ava? Was she safe? And what had happened to her?

The festivities, which had begun with such joy and laughter, had ended in a most grievous manner. The females of the tribe, fearing for their safety, had retreated to the protection of their homes, their mates standing guard outside.

In the midst of this chaos, the two chiefs, Lion Chief Peter and Fox Chief Charles, sat in urgent conference. They had received information that Ava was last seen heading into the forest with her sister, Isabelle.

Summoning Isabelle, the chiefs inquired about Ava's whereabouts. Isabelle, feigning tears and a look of deep concern, spun a web of lies.

"Ava came to me, seeking my counsel," Isabelle said, her voice trembling. "She told me she was in love with a beastman, and that she wanted to confide in me. She took me to the forest, where we could speak in private."

Isabelle's eyes welled up with fake tears as she continued. "Ava was distraught, torn between her duty to mate with Ethan and her love for this beastman. She confided in me that she wanted her first time to be with the beastman she loved, not Ethan."

Isabelle's voice dropped to a whisper. "I consoled her, of course, but then I left her in the forest. I didn't think much of it at the time, but now... perhaps Ava eloped with her beastman lover?"

The two chiefs exchanged a skeptical glance. While they were angry and concerned, they were also hesitant to jump to conclusions. Nothing was clear yet, and they needed more information.

"Isabelle, do you know the identity of this beastman?" Lion Chief Peter asked, his voice firm but controlled.

Isabelle shook her head, her eyes wide with innocence. "No, Ava didn't tell me. She didn't even say what type of beastman he was. But I don't think he's from the Gold Sun Tribe."

Lion Chief Peter's face was a mask of bewilderment. He had known Ava as a meek and gentle child, never one to take brash actions. Now, she was gone, and he was left to pick up the pieces.

The Lion chief's mind was a jumble of thoughts and emotions. He had planned for Ava to mate with Ethan, joining their two clans together. He had even envisioned a future where Ava would take a lion beastman as a second mate, with the Lion cubs fighting Ethan's cubs for leadership one day.

But now, those plans seemed nothing more than distant memories. The Lion chief sighed, his eyes furrowed in concern. For now, they would focus on finding Ava, and then whatever happens... well, then they would deal with the consequences.

The Lion chief's gaze turned to Isabelle, who was still sniffling and wiping away fake tears. He wasn't sure he believed her story, but for now, he had no choice but to take her at her word.

"Isabelle, you're sure you don't know anything else about Ava's disappearance?" Fox Chief Charles asked, his voice firm but gentle.

Isabelle shook her head, her eyes wide with innocence. "No, I swear. I've told you everything I know."

The two chiefs exchanged a skeptical glance. They would need to investigate further, to uncover the truth behind Ava's disappearance. And they would need to be careful, for in the world of the beastmen, nothing was ever as it seemed.

As Isabelle left the presence of the two Chiefs, her tearful and sad face transformed in an instant. Her eyes, which had been brimming with fake tears, dried up immediately, and a dark smirk spread across her face.

"Oh dear father Paul, you poor thing," she thought to herself, "your plans seem to be falling apart. But the remedy is very simple: you better give up on Ava and make plans for the future of this clan, because Ava is never coming back... she's dead."

As the morning sun cast its golden light over the Gold Sun Tribe, the atmosphere was tense with worry and concern. Ava was still nowhere to be found, despite the unending searches that had continued throughout the night.

Even the eagle beastmen, with their keen eyesight and exceptional flying abilities, had been unable to find any clue about Ava's whereabouts. It was as if she had vanished into thin air.

Isabelle, however, was already up and about, her smile growing wider as she walked towards a group of males gathered near the festival grounds. She was looking for Ethan, and she knew exactly how to play the part of a concerned sister to uplift her image in the eyes of the tribe's people and the Fox Clan.

As she approached the group, Isabelle's face contorted into a mask of worry and concern. She rushed up to Ethan, who was standing with a group of his friends, and grabbed his arm.

"Ethan, oh Ethan!" Isabelle exclaimed, her voice trembling with fake emotion. "Have you found Ava? Have you and the beastmen group found any sign of her?"

Ethan's eyes narrowed slightly, his expression a mixture of mockry and annoyance. He sneered in his heart, immediately understanding what Isabelle was up to. He knew that she was trying to manipulate the crowd, to use her fake concern for Ava to arouse the sympathy of others.

But Ethan played along, placing a comforting hand on Isabelle's shoulders. "No, Isabelle, we haven't found anything yet. But don't worry, we'll keep searching until we find her."

Isabelle's eyes welled up with fake tears, and she buried her face in her hands "Oh, Ethan, I'm so scared. What if something terrible has happened to her? What if we never see her again?"

Ethan replied. "We'll find her, Isabelle. I promise. We'll leave no stone unturned until we bring her back home."

Isabelle's false display of concern was convincing, but Ethan saw right through it. He played along, trying to console her responsibly, to avoid rousing the suspicions of the people nearby.

"We should search well," Isabelle said, her voice trembling. "She may have run away with a beastman. I know she never liked you, Ethan, but she's still a good female. She would eventually come to love you."

The beastmen around them who heard this were shocked and began to despise Ava. To them, she seemed irresponsible, whereas Isabelle was kind and mature. They started talking about how Isabelle and Ethan were a good match.

Ethan nearly scoffed at the hypocrisy before him. If only the people knew what truly transpired. He forced a smile, trying to maintain the facade.

Isabelle's plan was working. She was manipulating the situation to her advantage, making herself look like the concerned and caring sister, while Ava was being portrayed as irresponsible and selfish.

The people around them were buying into Isabelle's act, and Ethan was playing along, but he knew the truth. He knew that Isabelle was not what she seemed, and that Ava was dead.

As the morning wore on, the search for Ava continued, but Ethan's heart was not in it. He knew that Ava was gone, and that him and Isabelle was responsible. Isabelle, on the other hand, was thrilled with how things were going. She had manipulated the situation to her advantage, and she was getting away with it. She smiled to herself, knowing that she was one step closer to achieving her goal.

As Isabelle continued to play the part of the distraught sister, she couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction. Her plan was working, and she was successfully manipulating the Tribes people into believing that Ava was still alive.

But Isabelle knew the truth. Ava was dead, and she had played a crucial role in her demise. And now, with Ava out of the way, Isabelle was free to pursue her own goals and ambitions, without anyone standing in her way.

As the sun began to set on the Gold Sun Tribe, Isabelle smiled to herself, knowing that she had set in motion a chain of events that would change the course of their lives forever.