Ari (Child of the Beastman Goddess)

I was lucky that I still have my memories from my previous life so I was able to survive a few years of my life in the tribe.

It is springtime and my 7th year since my rebirth.

The night before I attended my first day of schooling, I dreamt of a beautiful lady with platinum-silver hair and golden eyes. She hugged me and smiled at me while saying “Good job my dear Ari, please remember that I love you.”

I woke up the next morning feeling nostalgic while trying to remember the rest of the dream but all I can clearly remember was the words she uttered. I can’t even remember her face.

I stood up and prepared my things before my father knocked on the door and called me to eat my breakfast so he could bring me to the pavilion before he accompanied the hunting team.

The elders started to gradually accept me despite my condition, especially after I helped in solving the issues of food shortage during winter and my creation of fabric.

Female cubs like me are taught how to hunt, but they are rarely urged to hunt due to their physical capabilities and are only allowed to join the actual hunt at the age of 9.

Hence, they need to learn the basics of survival in case of emergency.

All male cubs are required to craft a weapon they could use for hunting. Though female cubs are not required to create their own weapon, their parents or elders prepare their weapon for them.

Studying in this new world was so much fun unlike in my previous life where I always got bored and almost lifeless burying myself in books all day.

I diligently studied medicine to find a cure for my condition and helped elder healer Loni in tending to the sick females. She didn’t let me near any male patient due to my condition, especially because we need to keep the room always sanitized.

Every morning, my father brings me to the pavilion where all the cubs are being gathered by the elders to start teaching us the basics of hunting, cooking, making pelt, crafting tools and many more.

I am close to my siblings except Lindie, we all attended classes together.

My sister Lindie was the most beautiful cub in the class so she was treated with the most care in the tribe.

She has straight and long jet-black hair, white complexion and a pair jet-black eyes.

I feel like she is hostile to me because she was doing well conversing with the other cubs except me.

As far as I can remember, I had never done anything that could make her hostile towards me. We’ve only met for the first time during my first day joining the class since I was isolated from the others.

Most of the cubs are hostile with me excluding my male siblings. It doesn’t bother me as long as the elders are no longer hostile to me.

I wasn’t allowed to join hunting until I turned 9 years old as per tradition. The elders did not allow me to join early even though they knew I was more capable than the other cubs my age.

During hunting lessons, we were grouped into five members and were accompanied by an elder in each group. At first I thought everything was going well until I realized that my group mates were arguing with the elder. They don’t want to be grouped with me.

“Elder, we don’t want to be grouped with this ugly thing! She will just scare all the prey away with her hideous looks.” One of my group mates shouted in frustration.

My eyes widened as I felt my anger rising.

‘How dare you! Don’t you know that I can hear you from way over here?’ I whispered angrily in the air

Unconsciously, my lion ears and tail suddenly appeared and my wings started to spread, tearing off the back of my cloak and flapping uncontrollably till the waves of wind resonated from my wings started to mess up everything that surrounded me.

The elders present were shocked and called for my father hurriedly. The other cubs who witnessed it dropped down to the ground as if terrified. I flew away before my father and elder healer Lony was able to arrive at the pavilion.

I flapped my wings as hard as I could following the direction of the wind holding a bow in my left hand and arrows safely intact inside the quiver tied to my waist.

I was so frustrated because I was so excited to hunt using the bow and arrows my father and I crafted.

I soon arrived above the hunting location that was prepared by the elders where I could see the other groups who set out early.

They already started their hunting session while I slowly landed on top of the highest tree in the forest.

I can see my brothers on the opposite side of the forest from way up here. The younger ones all looked so cute and clumsy trying to catch the chubby little rabbits using their crafted little spears.

I remember I was only 5 years old when I started trying to craft a bow and a few sets of arrows behind elder Lony’s back while playing at the back of the house after feeding my silkworms.

One time, my father suddenly saw my hands full of blisters and I was scolded until I confessed that I was making a bow and a few arrows to practice hunting on my own as early as possible beside sewing clothes, studying medicine with the elder healer and taking care of my pets.

He bitterly smiled at me trying to understand with his eyes full of worry and compassion. I can feel his heart breaking for my pitiful situation. He hugged me dearly as he promised to give me some time to help me make the best weapon I can use for hunting.

He also secretly trained me how to hunt using the bow and arrows while gathering herbs for medicinal use.Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

My father was so elated upon seeing that I can shoot my arrows really well at a young age. Little did he know that I used to spend my free time alone doing archery in my previous life.