Surviving The Beast World With My 'Sassy' System-Chapter 33: Conversing With The Beastmen

Before settling by the fire, Lavayla first slipped into the hollow where the baby waited. He wasn’t playing anymore . The moment her shadow crossed the entrance, the little cub’s wide, watery eyes snapped toward her, his tiny fists waving urgently in the air as he let out a wobbly, demanding, "Aaah—!"

Lavayla’s heart melted on sight.

"There you are," she murmured, warmth blooming in her chest as she crouched down.

The baby immediately reached for her — or, well, flailed enthusiastically in her general direction — and Lavayla scooped him gently into her arms. He quieted at once, pressing his soft cheek against her collarbone with a relieved sigh, his small fingers grabbing onto her shirt like he was afraid she’d disappear again.

Behind her, Eiran followed in steady, silent steps. His ears flicked once, almost imperceptibly, as the baby let out another small, contented coo. Lavayla adjusted her hold and offered the tall teenager a soft, grateful nod.

"Thank you for watching him."

Eiran dipped his head in a quiet acknowledgment, eyes warm.

With the baby cuddled securely against her and Eiran trailing behind her, Lavayla stepped out of the hollow and towards the group of Beastmen.

The forest’s cool breeze met them before the warmth of the fire did. Lavayla lowered herself onto a rounded boulder, settling the baby securely in her lap. As she exhaled, the group instinctively shifted closer, forming a loose semicircle around her, their postures at once curious, relieved, and reverent.

Ressha sat to her left, clearing her throat with a hint of ceremony, as though preparing to present honored guests. "Since we didn’t get to do this properly earlier," she began, "let me introduce everyone."

She gestured subtly with her chin. "This is Garrick — the loud one." Garrick puffed up proudly, ignoring the mild insult. "Kal, Miren, and Vors are our scouts." Kal nodded with a cool, unreadable expression while the other two smiled at her. "Tharn, our spear-wielder." The man dipped his head politely, his expression tense but grateful. "Dark, our group leader," she continued, and Dark grunted in acknowledgment. "And Sela, Tila, Nima, and Eiran are our foragers."

Lavayla noticed instantly: the two Beastmen she’d helped earlier — Tharn and Kal — looked markedly tidier. Their hair was smoothed back, the dirt wiped from their arms and torsos, torn hems rewrapped with clean hides. They had washed and prepared themselves before greeting her again... as if meeting her in such a state required presenting their best.

It tugged unexpectedly at her heart and her smile widened, "Hello everyone, it’s nice to meet you all. My name is Lavayla."

"Um, is there anyway else to call you without only calling your name?" Garrick asked hesitantly because he didn’t know why, it just didn’t feel respectful to call her by name only.

Lavayla was surprised and she turned to the others, seeing them not refute, she nodded, "Sure... um.. You can call me Miss Lavayla then though I would prefer you call me by my name alone."

Ressha smiled slightly, "No, calling you Miss Lavayla is perfect."

Once the introductions settled, she glanced around at each of them, her voice warm and sincere. "Thank you... truly. For saving my life — and for protecting the baby. I’m grateful to all of you."

They all shifted at once, suddenly modest, shaking their heads or waving off her gratitude as though she had thanked them for passing her a cup instead of saving her existence.

"It’s nothing," Garrick insisted. "Anyone would have done—"

"Not anyone," Kal muttered under his breath.

Tharn looked abashed, rubbing the back of his neck. "We only did what was right."

Dark simply nodded as if to punctuate the sentiment.

Lavayla smiled softly, then tilted her head. "Then... may I ask? What was the fight really about?"

Garrick perked up like a fire had been lit under him. "Ah! That—" He leaned forward eagerly. "Our tribe is three days away from the foraging grounds — the same area where you saw us arguing that day. Over the years, the Sunmane lions have worked to claim that land from us. It’s rich — greenery everywhere, we get a lot of haul, that are perfect to pair with meat. But because they keep harassing our people, we haven’t been able to gather nearly as much this past year."

He huffed, crossing his arms. "Last time, Tharn’s younger sister was even injured during a clash with the Sunmane lions. That’s why they sent us — the stronger warriors — to escort the women foraging this time."

Lavayla’s brows drew together. "I see... so that’s why it turned so violent so fast."

Before she could say more, Sela leaned forward, eyes bright with curiosity. "Where did you come from, Miss Lavayla?"

"Sela," Dark warned sharply, tone low with reprimand. "You can’t just ask personal questions like that."

Lavayla raised her hand gently. "It’s alright. Truly. It’s natural to be curious... especially since people like me aren’t exactly common in this world."

The group stilled at her wording — people like her.

She spoke without hesitation, the system-polished story slipping smoothly into place. "Actually, I don’t remember much of my childhood. I lost my parents early. For the longest time, I assumed they had died. I’ve been alone for a long while."

Their faces softened, unguarded and sympathetic.

"I was wandering a lot when I was younger, lost, scared, and I ended up in a forest by accident. I ran from an animal and hid in a cave where a blue fern plant grew. It became my shelter. I learned to forage, to survive... but I was always too afraid to go out looking for other people."

A quiet sympathy settled over the clearing like mist.

"So, you aren’t the baby’s mother?" Nima asked in a low, cautious voice.

Lavayla chuckled, shaking her head as she looked down at him. "No, I found him not too long ago, and I’ve been taking care of him since then."

"Oh... but he kind of looks like you. Nobody would know you weren’t his mother."

"Yeah, he’s cute, isn’t he?"

"Do you know his beast form?" Ressha asked.

"No, I don’t. Do you?" Lavayla looked between them.

"No, none of us do." They all shook their heads.

She nodded, having expected that and got back to what they were talking about earlier, "I had actually been staying in a cave more than three hours from where you fought the lions. It was safe, but there’s no water source there."

Ressha frowned immediately. "So that’s what you were doing walking alone in the forest? It’s extremely dangerous."

Lavayla adjusted the baby on her lap. "I was looking for water. And that’s when I heard your voices. I stopped to see what was happening... which was how I witnessed your argument with the Sunmane lions, right?"

"Y-yes," Tharn replied quickly.

"Actually, I’m sorry about that—"

"No, no-no, no!" Garrick practically flailed. "There’s nothing to apologize for! If you hadn’t stopped and decided to help us, we wouldn’t be here."

Lavayla shook her head. "No, I didn’t help that much. And you saved my life too. I’m the one who’s thankful—"

"No," Tharn interrupted firmly.