Chapter 5
13.
The adventure continues as Riverania demonstrates the reason behind its name. They encountered multiple tribes, some are small, while some are quite populated. Varying in different cultures, to different Kemis as well. Indeed, a wide variety of Kemi exists in Riverania, living up to its name.
As the group continued their journey, they decided to climb up to the mountains. It was rumored that there was a place where a Beast tamer resides. Curious to see if the rumors are true, the Catgirls head straight to the said place, they even traded items to have thick clothes, perfect for the snowy mountains. The group thought that they were ready for whatever the place might bring, but unfortunately, it was way more than what they expected.
"RUUUUN!" Kita screamed as a wild white arctic boar chased them.
"Quick there!" Yuna said as she pointed to the cave.
Kita, Hana, Yuna, and Lulu managed to enter the cave. The white arctic boar failed to spot them, making it run in the wrong way.
"Phew… Thank the stars we are safe now…" Hana said as she finally can breathe freely.
"Ahmmm, I don't think we are," Pily responded.
"What do nyu mean?" Lulu asked.
"That giant white spider hiding in the dark is extremely hungry," Pily answered.
"AAAAAAAA!" They all screamed as they once again ran away.
"I thought they only eat Kemis when they don't have any other choice!?" Kita asked Pily as they all desperately tried to escape.
"Chuuu… I'm trying to ask them politely but it looks like everyone here is too hungry. They are willing to let me go but not the Kemis, they said." Pily replied.
Moments later, Yuna suggests "I think we gained enough distance, we should rest here for now."
Luckily, the place does not seem to have any Beast Mimis for now. Heading to the snowy mountains, everything gets tougher and tougher. Wild Beasts in the area are all color white, this is primarily because of how they camouflage to the area.
A couple of minutes passed, and the group managed to take some rest. As they were about to move out once more, the giant white spider showed up. The Catgirls thought that they were not followed but the truth is, while they were resting under a tree, the giant white spider already webbed their surroundings. Escaping is definitely not an option now.
"What should we do…" Lulu worriedly asked as she was about to cry, hiding behind Yuna.
"Whatever happens, I'm glad that I met nyu guys…" Hana emotionally said.
"OY! DON'T ACT LIKE WE ARE GOING TO DIE HERE!" Kita responded to Hana.
"Wait wait… Someone is coming," Yuna said as she tried to calm everyone.
Lulu carefully peeked and realized that Yuna was right. A short white-haired Catgirl approaches them. A huge white tiger is also behind her.
"Look out! There's a tiger behind nyu!" Kita warned as she saw the tiger tailing the mysterious Catgirl.
The giant white spider turned its attention toward the incoming Catgirl. It was about to attack her but it stopped halfway.
"The giant white spider stopped?" Yuna confusedly said.
"Chuuu… It looks like the spider is afraid of her." Pily mentioned.
"Is it because of the tiger on her back?" Hana asked.
"The tiger is… her pet?" Pily confusedly said.
"What?" The group reacted.
"It's true, that's what the tiger said," Pily added.
As everyone was confused in the scenario, the mysterious Catgirl told the giant white spider to go back. Surprisingly, it listened to her as the escalated scenario slowly went down.
The mysterious Catgirl approaches the group and asks, "Are nyu guys alright?" She then wiggled her ears.
Kita, Hana, Yuna, and Lulu wiggled their ears back to return the greetings. "We are fine, thanks to nyu," Hana replied.
"WHAT JUST HAPPENED?" Kita questioned as she was still shocked by what they witnessed.
"I told the giant white spider to leave nyu guys alone." The mysterious Catgirl answered.
"Who are nyu?" Yuna curiously asked.
"Oh sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. I am Maiko, the Beast tamer." Maiko said as she was petting the white tiger beside her.
Kita, Hana, Yuna, and Lulu dropped their jaws as they finally met the rumored Kemi. They could not believe it but the proof already was presented before Maiko even introduced herself.
"So where are nyu heading? It's dangerous out here~" Maiko asked.
"To the snowy mountain triiibee..." Lulu slowly answered. She is still trembling because of the incident.
"Ara, that is where I live. Come with me then~" Maiko responded as she invited them toward her tribe.
The group wanted to ask more questions but they were too exhausted from the events earlier. They were lucky that the so-called Beast tamer came to their aid. Who knows what would happen to them if Maiko did not show up.
As they traveled continuously, eventually the group reached their destination safely. The Snowy Tribe is definitely a rare sight to witness. Houses are built with thick wooden walls. The birch tree is the common tree around the area, it's actually quite thinner compared to other trees. Because of that, houses around the Snowy Tribe are made of multiple layers of birch logs. The interior designs are quite uniquely different as well. They are the number one consumer of furs and cotton in the Merch Tribe, making their furniture comfy.
The group entered Maiko's residence. She offered the other Kemis to rest inside her house for now. It's been a long tiring day and they truly needed to rest. The room itself is spacious, enough for everyone to sleep anywhere they want. They immediately took a nap while Maiko prepared something for them to eat.
After some hours, the group woke up due to the inviting aroma from the kitchen. Even Lulu, who prefers sleeping more than anything else, woke up to locate where the fragrance was coming from.
"Ara, everyone is awake. Hungry?" Maiko asked.
"That smells so good, what is that?" Kita curiously asked.
"It's Fish miso, my specialty~" Maiko answered.
"Woooaaahh…" Everyone reacted as their stomachs growled.
Maiko chuckled a bit, "this will be ready soon, nyu can all have a seat," she added.
"Your place is huge, do you live here with someone?" Hana asked.
"I live alone here, though other Kemis visit for advice," Maiko answered.
"Ad-" Lulu yawns, "vice suu?" She added.
"Haii, I'm the Tribe Leader after all…" Maiko replied.
"NYU ARE THE TRIBE LEADER!" Everyone reacted in surprise.
"Haii~" Maiko answered as she served the food.
14.
The shocking revelation truly caught everyone off guard. Everyone usually assumes that a Tribe Leader is someone from the elders. The main reason behind it is that they believe elders are already wise enough to lead a tribe. The questioning begins.
"Nyu look young, when did nyu become the Tribe Leader?" Yuna asked.
"I am indeed still young. Tribe Leaders are usually the elders but ever since I tamed Byakko, they appointed me as the tribe leader and gave me this house." Maiko answered.
"Byakko?" Hana reacted.
"The white tiger earlier, Byakko is my pet~" Maiko answered.
Everyone once again dropped their jaws as Maiko confirmed what Pily said earlier.
Maiko laughs as she says "I get that reaction a lot."
"Now I understand why nyu are the Tribe Leader. The place has lots of Beast Mimis and they need someone who can protect the tribe." Yuna mentioned.
"The food will get cold immediately, nyu can ask questions later. Let's eat for now~" Maiko suggested.
"Haaaiii~" Everyone replied as they all dug in.
"OISHI!" Kita loudly said as she excitedly got more servings.
"It is indeed delicious, the warm soup is perfect for this weather," Hana responded.
"I want mooooreee~" Lulu said.
The cold breeze of the snowy mountain was completely ignored as the Kemis enjoyed their hot enticing bowl of soup. Even though they have lots of questions in their minds, they set those aside for now and savor the flavor.
After having a wonderful meal, the Catgirls work together and clean up the mess. It is the least that they can do to return the favor. When everything was settled, they gathered in the hall to start their discussion. While the group sits on the floor, Maiko sits on her throne made by the villagers, and Byakko takes a rest by her side. Lulu is once again sleeping beside Pily, thus their discussion begins.
"That's a cool throne, I want one," Yuna mentioned.
"Well, I honestly don't like sitting here, but the villagers said that I should use this to maintain the Tribe Leader's reputation. Not to mention, they made this for me. I also don't want to waste their efforts." Maiko replied.
"Understandable… The Tribe Leader should be respected and reputation is important as well. Byakko is an extra intimidation hehe…" Kita said.
"They do love nyu," Hana added.
"Well… The situation was quite different back then." Maiko responded.
"Back then?" Hana asked as she tilted her head.
"Hai, before I managed to tame Byakko, the village despised the Beast Mimis. The elders often scolded me for trying to communicate with the Beasts. They believed I was an odd Kemi back then." Maiko answered.
"Communicate with Beast Mimis? Like how Tameable Mimis do it?" Kita questioned.
"I can't communicate with them mentally like Tameable Mimis, but I can feel the Beasts' emotions. Whenever an incident occurred, I would tell the elders that the Beasts were angry because we invaded their territory. But the elders did not listen." Maiko added.
"Beast Mimis eat Kemis right? Aren't nyu afraid of that?" Yuna also asked.
"They indeed eat Kemis but only when they don't have any other choice. It is not like how we constantly want to eat fish. Beast Mimis don't eat the Tameable Mimis because they don't see them as a threat. Plus they are just all fluff, not much meat. Meaning to say, Beasts can rationalize like us. Since I have the ability to feel their emotions, I can easily talk with them." Maiko explained.
"How did nyu convince the elders?" Yuna added.
"There was this time when I was still a kitten. I roamed outside as I was trying to find Byakko, the Beast that terrorized the village. At that time they were extremely afraid of Byakko since it can devour almost everything. With its strength plus speed, no one can escape from it. I thought, if I managed to tame Byakko and bring it to the village, maybe they would finally believe me." Maiko said as she started to share her experience.
"Wooaahhh, nyu are brave!" Kita commented.
"As I continued my journey, I slipped toward the edge of a cliff. Luckily, I managed to grab and hold onto a root of a tree, though I was barely holding on. I yelled as loud as I could, desperately calling for help, but no one came. I was about to give up and accept my fate, then Byakko appeared and pulled my clothes. I felt that Byakko was worried at that time, definitely not the same as the elders' story. I hugged Byakko tightly that time and I guess I was the first Kemi to appreciate the Beast. Because of my genuine gratitude towards Byakko, the Beast never left my side. When I returned to the village with Byakko, it was quite chaotic at first. They eventually listened since I had the proof, and afterward, I became the Tribe Leader at that instant. It is way more than I imagined, everything happened so fast, and now I'm leading the tribe." Maiko said as she told everyone her story.
"That is amazing… Can we learn that as well!?" Kita excitedly asked as she wanted to have a new experience.
"ARE NYU INSANE?" Hana worriedly asked.
"Well maybe?" Kita humorously replied as she chuckled. "That story is very inspiring! I want to experience it as well!" She added.
"I don't know if learning the Beasts' feelings is possible, though Beasts can understand our words. They just cannot talk back like the Tameable ones." Maiko said.
"Ooohhhh… That's a bummer…" Kita disappointedly replied.
"Phew~" Hana reacted, thankful that it was not possible.
"But I can guide nyu from the back as nyu talk to them. I'll let nyu know their state~" Maiko suggested.
"NYATTA!" Kita immediately responded.
"Sounds interesting," Yuna added.
"EHH!" Hana reacted as the situation turned in Kita's favor.
"Yooooossshh~" Lulu reacted while she was sleeping. She is clueless about the scenario but hearing the other Kemis being loud made her cheer as well.
"Just a quick question, why were nyu trying to go to this tribe anyway?" Maiko questioned.
"At first we were afraid to go to this place because of the Beast Mimis. Then we heard about the Beast-tamer rumor. We tried to check if we were bound to explore this place using the Runecrystal. Unfortunately, it glowed and Kita won, aaaand now we're here." Yuna answered as she summarized everything.
"Hehe…" Kita reacted, guilty as charged.
"Runecrystal?" Maiko questioned.
15.
Kita's group started to explain why they are on a journey. It was a long tale and Maiko was impressed by it. Yuna asked if Maiko had any encounters with a Runecrystal before, maybe it was the reason why Maiko can communicate with Beasts. Unfortunately, she is not aware of it. Though her situation suggests that she might have had the same experience with Hana, fused with the Runecrystal at a very young age. The conversation got lengthy mainly because of the Runecrystal. Eventually, they leave the matter, for now, Maiko will know the answers once she asks the previous elders.
The adventure continues as a new experience is waiting for the brave ones. Lulu stayed at Maiko's house where she kept doing what she loved, while Hana decided to take a bath. While Kita and Yuna are the brave ones to try the life-threatening experience.
Maiko leads the way toward the woods. She knows every inch of the place since protecting both the tribe and the Beasts is her priority. With that said, Maiko proceeds to the east side where the ferocious snow bears reside.
"Be careful, just walk quietly. We don't want to disturb random Beasts, some of them are short-tempered." Maiko warned as Kita and Yuna followed her.
"Sssshhh!" Yuna said to Kita. "Oh my bad, the snow here is quite fun," Kita responded as she stopped kicking the snow.
A few moments later, a young snow bear came out from a bush covered by snow.
"A Beast Mimi!" Kita excitedly said.
"Calm down, nyu don't want to startle the Beast. It can literally cut nyu in half~" Maiko warned.
Yuna walked closer to Kita and lightly hit Kita's head.
"My bad, my bad." Kita apologized as she scratched her head.
"Go ahead now, try talking to them. Just be careful with your tone." Maiko instructed.
"Hello, there big fella, what's up?" Kita asked the young ferocious snow bear.
The ferocious snow bear started to growl when Kita walked a little closer.
"Is it trying to talk back?" Kita worriedly asked.
"I think it will cut you in half," Yuna replied.
"It's quite anxious, don't walk too close," Maiko warned as she guided Kita.
"Oh my bad, I just wa-aaa… AAACHOO!" Kita was about to say something to the snow bear but she suddenly sneezed loudly. Because of that, the ferocious snow bear fled.
Yuna laughs as she teases Kita. "It's cold! I can't help it!" Kita defended herself.
As they caused quite a commotion, another snowbear came out.
"Okay, my turn." Yuna confidently said as she closed the gap between them.
"Heeey, how are you?" Yuna asked, using a mild cool tone.
The ferocious snow bear tilts its head to the right side. "The Beast is curious, keep on talking," Maiko said.
Yuna was suddenly pressured when she heard that she managed to get the Beast's attention. "Aaaa… aa… are nyu hungry?" Yuna asked as she stuttered.
Because of the long pause, the ferocious snow bear left before even Yuna finished her question.
"The Beast got bored…" Maiko commented.
Kita immediately returned the favor by laughing way more than Yuna did last time. "I panicked OKAY?" Yuna defended herself.
"Ara~ This is quite a scene," Maiko said as she chuckled.
Later that moment, something odd happened. The Runecrystal inside Kita's bag started to blink continuously.
"There's something glowing inside of your bag," Maiko told Kita.
Kita immediately puts out the Runecrystal. They are entirely confused as Kita and Yuna witness such a scenario, it was the first time they saw the Runecrystal in this manner.
A few more seconds later, the Runecrystal stopped blinking as a violet version of Tameable Mimi came out. This time the creature has long arms and fangs.
"WHAT IS HAPPENING? AND WHAT IS THAT?" Kita questioned as she panicked.
"I don't know… this is the first time I've seen such Mimi…" Maiko replied. In that instant, Byakko started to growl and put out its fangs.
Going back to Maiko's residence, Hana is brushing her hair, and suddenly Lulu wakes up.
"Ohayo Lulu." Hana greeted.
"Yuna! They are in trouble!" Lulu worriedly said.
"What? How do nyu know?" Hana questioned.
"I just can feel it," Lulu answered as she immediately ran toward where the others were.
"Oy, Matteee," Hana said as she followed Lulu while carrying Pily.
Moments later, they arrived at the scene.
"Lulu? How do nyu find us?" Yuna asked.
"Stay away from that Mimi, that is dangerous!" Lulu warned.
"Mi mi?" The violet Mimi said.
"Chuu… It's true, it hunts Kemi!" Pily added after communicating with the unknown Mimi mentally.
In that instant the violet Mimi jumped towards Maiko, planning to bite her. They were all startled but thankfully Byakko caught it mid-air, biting it deeply.
"KWAAA!" The violet Mimi reacted as it turned into violet dust, vanishing into thin air.
"WHAT IN THE UNIPAWS WAS THAT?" Kita loudly asked.
"It tried to attack me... I was not able to read its emotions…" Maiko said while she was still shocked by the scenario.
"Ahm… How do nyu know that it was going to attack?" Yuna asked Lulu.
"She suddenly woke up and told me nyu are in danger, Lulu even ran off immediately, I just followed her." Hana added.
"Anoo... I also don't know. I felt the presence and it scared me. I acted out of panic, I don't know what's going on…" Lulu said with teary eyes as she was confused as well.
"Surely it's a Beast Mimi, it attacked Maiko. Tameable ones do not attack right?" Kita asked the Mimis.
"Chuuu… I actually don't know, it's the first time I saw that kind. I tried communicating with that Mimi, but all it was saying was kill the Kemis." Pily answered.
"They are not Beast Mimis, I should have read its emotions if it was," Maiko said.
"Well, it's not the Tameable either since just like you said, Beasts don't attack the Tameable ones…" Yuna added.
"What is going on…" Hana reacted.
Everyone is currently confused as a sudden attack from an unknown species occurred. All that they know is it attacks Kemis, no one knows if there's more of it, nor what it is in the first place. With that said, the group's adventure meets a dangerous mystery, truly a life-threatening encounter.
End of Chapter 5