"um...correct if i am wrong but does the snake attacked because you’re a vulture?" she asked carefully.
Veer glanced at her, his jaw tight, then gave a small smirk.
"You’re smart. Yeah."
Kaya froze, her thoughts racing. "Wait, so just because you’re a vulture, they attacked you? Without a reason? We didn’t even touch them!"
"Exactly," he muttered bitterly, his voice sharp. "That’s the problem. It wasn’t even their territory. Those damn crawling -creatures... earthworms... whatever you call them. They always do this. If it wasn’t for you, I’d have killed them all already. Bastards."
Kaya blinked, his words sinking in. And then, slowly, it clicked.
Of course. How could a vulture ever just run away from a snake? They were mortal enemies, like fire and water—one couldn’t exist in peace with the other. They wouldn’t stop until one of them was dead.
"So..." Kaya’s voice softened, almost hesitant. "You were scared because I was with you?"
Veer’s eyes flicked to her. He nodded firmly.
"Of course. I couldn’t just fight them with you there. If I had, they would have gone straight for you. Didn’t you see? Their first strike wasn’t at —it was at you. They knew you were with ."
Kaya’s chest tightened. She frowned, confused.
"Wait... but you’re the vulture. They hate you. Then why attack ? Maybe because I’m your weakness, sure, but still... why?"
At that, Veer fell silent. His gaze lingered on her for a long mont, then shifted downward, softer now, almost reluctant.
"Sweetheart... have you ever heard of phenona?"
Kaya tilted her head. "Phenona? You an... like weather? Earthquakes? That sort of thing?"
He shook his head. "No. Not that. I an phenona as in what we beasts release—our scent. Our mark. We use it to claim what’s ours, to mark territory. Everyone does it differently, but scent is the most basic way. And you..." His eyes t hers, steady and unflinching. "...you’ve been with all this ti. After everything that happened last week, this week—you’re completely wrapped in my scent."
Kaya’s breath caught. She stared at him.
"So... in their eyes..." she whispered. "...I’m also a vulture."
Veer gave a short, firm nod. "Yeah."
Kaya went quiet for a mont, her brows furrowing. Then she suddenly blurted out, almost like the thought had crashed into her all at once.
"Wait a second. You guys are Beastn, right? Half human, half beast... You’re not mindless animals. You know what’s right and wrong. So why the hell are you still fighting? Why not just... sign a treaty or sothing? Stop killing each other. What do you even gain after so much bloodshed?"
Veer froze—then, unexpectedly, burst out laughing. His voice echoed against the branches, rough and amused.
"Oh, sweetheart... did you just fall out of heaven?"
Kaya’s eyes widened, offended. "What the—what’s that supposed to an?"
He looked at her with that sharp glint in his eyes, his grin all teeth. "It ans you’re too pure for this world. A treaty, she says. Do you really think either side would sit across the table and shake hands? Vultures and snakes can’t even look at each other without wanting to rip each other’s throats out. If a vulture ets a snake alone, he kills him. If a snake finds a vulture wandering, he kills him. So tell , who’s going to step up and say—’hello, I’d like to sign a treaty with you’?"
Kaya bit her lip, refusing to back down. "But... there must be leaders, chiefs, soone who can talk. It’s not possible that every single one of you hates each other like this."
Veer’s smile softened into sothing sharper, almost cruel. "Honey, it’s not that we don’t want peace. It’s that we can’t. The gap between us is too wide. Those snakes—they think they’re blessed by the gods, holy creatures chosen to rule. To them, vultures are disgusting, filthy scavengers. They hate that we survive by eating what others leave behind. They think we’re beneath them. So tell , why would they ever agree to sit down with us?"
His tone darkened, but his mouth twisted into a dangerous smirk. "Honestly, if not for you, I would’ve torn them apart today."
Kaya stilled, her eyes narrowing on him. The way he spoke—it wasn’t an empty threat. Her gut told her there was history here. "The way you’re talking... you’ve killed snake beastn before, haven’t you?"
Veer’s shoulders lifted in a careless shrug, but his eyes glead. "Of course I have."
Kaya’s jaw dropped. "Wait—what?"
He leaned back against the bark, almost lazy, like he was recalling a casual mory. "White-scaled bastard. Crossed when I was hunting a triceratops five months ago. I ignored him at first, but he kept getting in my way, hissing, provoking. So I cut him down."
His voice carried no sha, no hesitation—only the cold pride of a predator who had survived.
Kaya stared at him, stunned. This wasn’t just a grudge. It was war in his blood.
Veer looked at her, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
"Wait here. I’ll get you sothing to eat."
He began rummaging through the pack, his movents steady and calm—as though the chaos of earlier hadn’t shaken him at all. Kaya, on the other hand, sat frozen, her eyes locked ahead.
Her mind refused to let go of a single, terrifying thought.
If Veer, a beastman as powerful as a vulture—strong enough to stand against those monstrous serpents—could struggle in a fight, then what chance did she have? If she had been alone in that clearing, with one of those snake beastn slithering toward her, fangs bared and eyes fixed on her... would she have survived?
The answer hit her like ice. No. Not a chance.
Even if she sohow clawed her way out alive, even if she crawled away broken and bleeding, missing an arm or a leg—it would already be a miracle. A blessing from the gods.
Her chest tightened as the truth carved itself into her mind.
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