Reborn as a Side Character in the Beastworld

Chapter One Hundred and Nine

It had been a long and arduous month building the village. More and more of the Tiger King's people arrived each day. They had expertly followed the traces of our little group's escape and now a town of fifty had grown three times that number with fourteen of them being female. Our village now consisted of not only tigers and foxes, but a few wolves, leopards and a handful of bears. Even a couple eagles from Eagle Cliffs were frequently hovering to watch the village grow and assess our motives for building so close to their own haven. At first they had been nervous due to their own lack of numbers and the proximity of their vulnerable fledglings, but over time they found most villagers to be welcoming and disinterested in conquest. For the other flyers, only mated peacocks stayed to place roots but in the first weeks of settling, we established trade and good relations with Peacock Village as a whole, leading to open borders between us.

I wracked my brain day and night to find space for everyone and ensure our impact on the forest's ecosystem was as little as possible. With the lake as the village heart, we strategically built a large clinic where Harvey and Oliver could work. On tall stone platforms, we built a log cabin that would function as a granary and other food storage. And with dolomite marble laced with black magnesium swirls found in the nearby mountains, we built a courthouse of sorts where the leaders could greet guests and conduct business. It quickly became a very useful building where we held instructional seminars on where to build and the various architectural options our inhabitants could implement.

With the remains of the lumber that could not be used in building, a large bonfire was erected in a wide space by the lake that looked like it could one day be a town square. I provided a couple recipes to a few males who then created stands with juice made from summer berries and stands of spiced meat and vegetable skewers slowly roasting over hot coals. These stands provided refreshment to our villagers in exchange for future cooking lessons by moi. For the first time in weeks, we were able to sit back on our furs and admire the hard work that had gone into making such a picturesque little town.

The homes for the recently arrived single males were finally completed today and most everyone in the village had gathered in expectation of being formally welcomed by their kings. Winston still held the title of Tiger King as the only tetra marked tiger but he was not the only king of our settlement. Tristan with his four marks also held such status as king of the foxes. By all rights, Lance was also a king as any four-stripe beast had the power to command his own kind but as a feral, he had no need of such a title.

Despite my uncomfortably large belly, I sat on the ground with my back to Shuu's chest as he gently massaged my shoulders and I gazed at the firelight dancing in the warm evening air. Lance lounged on a branch in the tree above us and Harvey rested in his leopard form at my side. I was a couple weeks away from my due date but Kit never strayed far from me. Whether it was due to the excitement of becoming a big brother or apprehension for having to share his mother's affections, I wasn't sure. Probably a bit of both. He laid by my side munching on a meat skewer with his fluffy tail swishing happily to and fro.

A certain peacock was a respectable distance away in the next tree over with Oliver leaning against its trunk. The two had created a sort of friendship that consisted of constant insults and frequent goading. No work ever got done between the two of them but their rivalry kept the onlookers in good spirits. A socially awkward eagle stood close to the central fire, trying to look busy as he fed the flames with his one good arm and the nearby stack of dry wood.

With a contented smile on my face, I watched our people interact with each other. The village was alive with their laughter and boisterous voices despite the dying of the daylight. Maybe it was because we had all worked together to create our town or maybe it was because my kings did not tolerate fuss, but there were very few fights that escalated to claws and teeth. We felt connected to each other and safe. All females had a place near the fire's warmth where they lay on thick furs and were fed the seasoned skewers and sweet juice by their mates. Children chased each other around the square without fear of being scolded and single males plucked up their courage to approach the few females with arms full of carefully selected gifts.

It was only when Winston and Tristan walked out from the courthouse and approached the gathered crowd did the sounds fade to hushed whispers and the swishing of tails. Like embodiments of light and shadow the two males stood illuminated by the orange of the sunset and the fire. Both wore simple skirts as the hot season didn't warrant for anything else but the unadorned figures did nothing to detract from their intimidating auras. Two sets of eyes sought me out and I smirked as their postures straightened after they had confirmed my location. They turned their gazes to our people and Winston spoke first.

Not one for long speeches, my tiger got straight to the point. "The rules I established in the City of Beasts remain. Females and cubs are to be protected at all costs. Fatal wounds must be avoided in fights between males. Stealing will result in punishment fitting the value of the items stolen. And disagreements between mates and females must be discussed with your Queen before any permanent actions are taken." Like a general he laid out the ground rules for coexistence and when he was done, wasted no more words on pleasantries.

Tristan stepped forward. Though not as large or confident as Winston, he addressed the crowd with power and authority. "After some time, the safety and security of the village will be organized. Some of you will receive jobs that work to your strengths. You will be expected to cooperate to keep, not just your own clan and families, but all residents safe. The benefits and rewards of such a system will be explained to you once all roles have been assigned. Though we'll never be as large as the City of Beasts our village may grow. As new beasts come, communicate our rules to them. Any threats to our village must be told to your Kings so we can act quickly and limit mistakes. The Merfolk Bay, Peacock Village and Eagle Cliff territories will be respected and only approached with permission." After explaining some of the expectations for the residents, Tristan relaxed and an easy smile curved his fox eyes further. "Now that most of the hard work is done, fill your bellies and relax. Bailey's Borough has been built!"

With those tension releasing words spoken, the residents let out excited cheers. I blushed all the way down to my tits. Those little shits had picked a name for the village without discussing it with me and they just had to put my name in it. I couldn't be more embarrassed and I swore to myself to pick a new one by tomorrow morning.

For the first time as a recognized village we beasts would party well into the night. The only thing that was missing, was booze. But maybe, just maybe, that was a good thing.