Beware The Savanna (Flock Together) (Patreon)

(Ricca's POV)

I was resting with Squishy after I came back with food, but he was almost free of the vines I tied him in. Maybe a few more minutes and he could've run away. Now, I had him in my lap and freshly tied up again when he said he needed his meat cooked or he would get sick. Humans are not very strong or fast compared to us... They are lucky they have those broomsticks and stuff or they would be at nearly everyone's mercy. Squishy being a little spicy was already enough to be a handful. It won't make me get rid of him, but could humans stand to eat raw meat like this?

Ricca-Hmmmm... Would my little Squishy like it if I chewed his food for him? ~

Squishy-No!

Ricca-Giggles ~ Oh, calm down. I'm just teasing... Though if for whatever reason I had to... ~

Squishy-I-I can chew! I can chew!

He was just so fun to tease and easy to manage now. If only I could get him to be more cuddly without the vines. When the meat looked done, I pulled a stick of meat out for him and the stick was on fire a little, so I blew it out.

Ricca-There we go. All good to eat... Though, I would let it cool down.

Squishy-... Can you untie me? I can't grab it.

Ricca-I would, but you tried to run away while I was out hunting for you so... We need to work our way to that point of trust... Looks like I'm feeding you. Ahhhhhh. ~

It was like feeding my very own cub. I had the rest of the food when he was full and just bounced him on my lap to play a little. I heard noises that I brushed off at first until I noticed they were very frequent... I got on guard and put my cub behind me then looked around in a defensive position.

Ricca-Growl.

Just then something stung my neck. I pulled it out and saw it was a needle with tiny feathers on it. I felt dizzy and a little confused before I fell down and 3 bird tribe members landed in front of us.

???-Take the hyena to a tree near the camp to tie her to it. The cub can go to the others. echo

The dark one came over to kick me in the face to knock me out.

(Halona's POV)

When I knocked the hyena out I looked to see the human cub squirming and crying. Either the hyenas stole this cub or the Serpent Sisters broke their word and gave them a cub. They tried to wiggle away like a worm, but I just picked them up with my talons and flew in the air only for a little bit before...

???-AAAAHHHHHHHH!!!

That screaming didn't hurt my ears, but it was annoying to listen to, so I quickly landed. The others saw him cry. Chief Enola came over to pick the cub up with her wings and he still tried to get away, but it was useless. At least he wasn't screaming.

Enola-Ok, looks like we are walking the cub back... One of you take the prisoner somewhere else.

Kasa-I got her.

Kasa took the prisoner with her and flew off while I stayed with the chief to walk back to camp. The human cub kept on struggling and it annoyed me that he was not showing Chief Enola her due respect.

Enola-Young cub slave. I understand your fear, but we are not here to attack or hurt you. My name is Chief Enola. This is my hand Halona.

Halona-Hello.

Enola-What might your name be?... Or do we just get to name you?

???-Whimper (Y/N).

Enola-Well... Seeing as something was clearly wrong before, I think it would be best if we take you in.

Halona-Without the treatments from the Serpent Sisters?

Just then, I saw him stiff up a little like he was just afraid of that name. I guess they did just give them to one of the worst races in the land.

Elona-I'm not sure I trust their trading in this case. We will see where the human slave trading goes and then make a decision as a tribe. I'm sure Aponi will be happy to see you.

(Y/N)-Who?

((Y/N)'s POV)

I was being sat on in a giant nest in a treehouse by Aponi who really was happy to see me! She untied me only to hold me and even tried to chew my food for me! I was under her and she felt heavy, but I could still breathe under her since I was on my side. She wanted to watch me while the others talked, but I had no idea what she was doing until she stood up and I saw her. She was just so tall and I didn't even make it to her knees.

Aponi-You look so cozy there! Adorable! Look what I made for you. ~

She dangles a collar with a little bell that looks like she knitted it with something very strong. She even carved a little wooden bird that looked smooth. It even had a buckle on it that clicked when she put it around my neck.

Aponi-I saw humans do this to some of the animals they have, but they were more cruel. I thought since you are to be used for companionship and cuddles, I could give a cute little touch. I borrowed some stuff from the attack animals we killed.

(Y/N)-I-I'm not a pet. whisper

Aponi-Hmm?... What's a pet?

Just then someone came in and Aponi picked me up before she sat crisis cross with me in her lap on my back. It made the little bell jingle a bit.

Aponi-Hey, Cynthia. Look what I made for our new slave!

Cynthia-Is that one of those things humans put on attack animals?

Aponi-Yeah, I found smaller versions and thought about making one for our new slave! I just finished! ~

Cynthia-Well it needs to come off for a little bit. Chief Enola wants me to do an examination.

Aponi-But it looks so cute! It won't be in the way.

She looked at her like a sad puppy or something.

Cynthia-Sigh... When I need it off, it will come off only for a little bit.

This made Aponi happy and she put me down in front of the nest for Cynthia. I thought this was going to be a medical thing and it was a little at first to check my temperature and for scratches, but then she only did weird things to me.

Cynthia-Little One, where would you tell us about your old life? ~

(Y/N)-... What?

Aponi-Your life before you came here, silly. Just the part with the humans. ~

(Cynthia's POV)

I already knew about humans mistreating and neglecting their cubs, but Enola wanted to know more about our new slave. It sounded really close to what we heard about how parents don't let them explore and come back for love and comfort. They explore and put them in separate rooms, most likely depriving them of cuddles and security, and sometimes put that job to a complete stranger. It was just as I feared. Human cubs seem to see this abuse and neglect as normal to the point they bathe separately or just don't want to because there is no mother or father there to comfort them as they play in the water. That is depriving them of fun with their parents. He even looked confused when he saw the looks of worry on our faces and Aponi went full mama bird to cradle him and then sat on him like an egg or a baby hatchling of our kind looking for comfort. He was even struggling a little, so I reached under her to scratch his tummy.

Aponi-Humans are awful parents. Even letting complete strangers they had never met be trusted with their cubs.

Cynthia-He still has one other to meet, but he can meet her tonight. He needs rest and Enola will and her will be talking to the Serpent Sisters themselves.

Aponi-She's not taking her hand?

Cynthia-She's guarding the prisoner. You just need to keep our slaves in comfort for a while.

(Aponi's POV)

My heartache for this poor cub when Cynthia left and I do believe he was not ready for my sister. She is fierce like me when I get mad, but she is just so much easier to get mad, and after losing our males and young, cubs are going to be a really touchy subject for her. I felt the cub stop struggling under me when he poked his head out from my side.

He looked so adorable that I played with his little bell and he blushed at this.

Aponi-Hi there. I need you to take a nap, so you need to go back. After you wake up, we can have that cooked meat and some fruity dessert we know how to make. ~

(Y/N)-Can I just sleep somewhere else alo-?

I just tucked him back under me and muffled out the rest of his request. It was so heartbreaking that he didn't know how to accept innocent love and cuddles by wanting to nap alone at his age. I kept him under me until I heard and felt a little yawn, so I reached under me to stroke his head. I remember when I babysat this little boy who wanted to act macho because he could fly, but he was out cold when the comfort of someone's weight was on top of him... The Chief was heartbroken when she learned her son had been taken, but at least he wasn't shot out of the sky like some of our men. The concept of this... "zoo" is humiliating, but at least he's safe until we could find him.

Aponi-You remind me so much of him... My sister is going to love you and she can be the sweetest thing and very playful. ~

(Timeskip)

(Enola's POV)

THUD

Veda-If we did not already agree to capture you, I would beat what little brains you had out of your hollow skull!

Catori-Watch the merchandise! That isss a breeder! ~

I turned to see Catori standing between Veda and a chained human male who looked too out of it to be scared.

Veda-These humans treating cubs like this is disgusting and half-assing parenthood!

I had to come over and pulled Veda back and she puffed up in anger when she saw the dazed human smile at her again. She tried to lung at them, but I grabbed her to hold her back while Catori grabbed the human with her tail and threw the human into a big cage with many other humans inside that they called a building.

Veda-WHO ARE YOU SMILING AT?!?!?! WHEN I GET A HOLD OF YOU, I WILL PAINT HOW I KILLED YOU IN YOUR BLOOD ON A FUCKING WALL!!!

Enola-Veda! They are breeding adults! They need them to have more cubs to trade!

This stopped her and I pointed for her to go sit down somewhere away from humans before I turned back to Catori.

Enola-I apologize on her behalf. She did not like the news of how human cubs are treated and raised.

Catori-It isss backward, ssso I will let thisss one off with a warning for her. I asssssume you are here to take a cub for yourselvesss. ~

Enola-We will hold off on that, but we do have questions regarding how you will run things here.

Catori-Allow me to explain and take you on a tour.

I followed her and we picked into a building where there was some pollen in the air being blown around and kicked in the air by some kind of human-machine that blows air.

Catori-All humansss will be exposssed to this until they are in a vulnerable ssstate where you can hypnotize them. We just keep the adultsss and cubsss. For pregnant femalesss, we put them sssomewhere elssse and in their own roomsss with little thingsss that repeat your voice on sssome kind of machine that humansss call a TV from what one told usss to keep up the hypnosssisss. Sssome are due sssoon and will be placed under ressst. ~

I was following her so far.

Catori-The female is allowed to feed her cub until they are able to feed on other sssoft foodsss in the meantime. After that time or if sssomeone who can give the child the milk they need and are adopted, the female will be put with malesss for more mating. For the cubs that are up for ssslave trading, my sssissster caresss for them and all will be welcome to participate to help make a decision on the cub they will take. More humansss may ssstill come, ssso we will ussse the adultsss we have to capture more unsssussspecting humansss to grow. Maybe one day many racesss will come together over thisss and form better homesss and livesss the humansss will build or we learn from. ~

Enola-The lives the humans have and built will be ours?

Catori-Indeed. Only we will make thingsss better. Which isss why my sssissster and I are happy to sssee you come back ssso sssoon. We want to build a new way of leaderssship... Usss, the elephantsss, othersss willing to help build thessse livesss for usss... You know the humansss are bad at being parentsss, but we learned what elssse they do... Every. Day. ~

Enola-What are you talking about?

(Timeskip 2 hours)

Now I wanted to go hurt the humans like Veda did?! They are worse than the hyenas! At least they have the sense to feed their pack as a whole! Other places let their fellow humans starve! I took Veda and left when Catori said she had a pack of humans being trained to look for our cub slave (Y/N). I wanted to tell her that we had him, but some things did not add up about how he ended up with the hyenas, so I kept it to myself for now.

Veda-Chief, is something wrong?

Enola-We are going to have an important meeting when we get back to the flock.

(Mkali's POV)

There was a rumor of the elephants attacking a human territory with some help. That was very odd, so my pride and I wanted to go see if it was true, so tomorrow when we are rested and fed, we would be ready in case things get bad.

Mkali's mind-Our cub slave will be ours again soon. The one who has him better hope he is not hurt.