Chapter 83: Chapter 81: Stealing Away Together

[This is just what I needed.]

Lightning is enthusiastic as she and I stroll in the Riddlehoeven side gardens. The villa has dozens of “secret” gardens accessed only through patio doors. I know, because we searched all of them to see if Judo and Memo could have been taken there.

The one good piece of news is that Lamant and Minette haven’t identified any skeletons in the chamber that look like Judo and Memo. Who would ever have thought that we’d be rooting for beast poachers just to have a shred of hope?

But, honestly, my mind isn’t on quests, or danger, or scorpions, or poachers, or anything to do with trouble. If I’m thinking about trouble at all, it’s the interesting kind of trouble. The female kind. But I’m too young to be thinking about this. Am I, System?

[No. You are a magical beast, and you mature faster. You’ve noticed that you’re growing so big now that Kaline can barely hold you. In any case, male tigers reach mating age around 21 months of age. You’re close to that now. So is Lightning.]

Mating?

I can’t believe this. Why would I get the urge to mate NOW? Why didn’t Demos or Lobo tell me? Gussie has been down for the count, and everyone has been distracted, but still.

[Oh, Blaze. Your friends knew. They just wanted to keep the illusion a while longer. Trust me, once people or beasts start pairing off, it changes everything.]

GREAT. Where’s Demos? I need to kill him for keeping this from me. And Lobo too.

[Are you sure about that? Lobo is your brother. After a fashion.]

System, if YOU can talk about that, then I can–

[No. I deal in facts. Don’t you dare approach Lobo/Damon. It’s forbidden.]

I HATE YOU.

[You just concentrate on Lightning. Don’t worry. All is as it should be.]

I exhale. Tell me what happens next. I don’t mean a biology lesson. I mean…what benefits does mating give in the game?

[MATING SELECTION

You can allow the System to select your mate or you can select your own. Bear in mind that the System’s choice will be tailored to what is most advantageous for you and your tamer.

In the case of Lightning, she is already advantageous for both you and your tamer, because your houses are friends, and your tamer could end up marrying hers when they come of age.

Your happiness influences your tamer’s. If you are happy, Kaline will be happy, and vice versa. You will be happy with Lightning because there is already compatibility. Also, bonding with Lightning will also bond her with Kaline, and you with Hans. You all like each other and get along, so this should not be difficult.

MATE ENHANCEMENTS

Lightning’s stats will improve yours. She is already more powerful in the game than you, although you possess Divine Vision and other abilities she does not. Your abilities can transfer to her, and vice versa. Your happiness will be doubled, even tripled, which will help you in training and in fighting and in magical ability. This is why the choice of a mate is so important.

Lightning also knows more about beast society and beast taming society than you do. She will help you navigate that world. You will provide the steadiness and loyalty she needs.

Once you mate, you will have not only your individual stats but Combined Mate Stats. in effect, you will also be a unit, especially in competition like the Beast Taming Elimination Tournament.

OFFSPRING

Your offspring will be born when it is typical for your species. The gestation period for common tigers is three months. Your offspring will have his or her own stats. Eventually, when Kaline and Hans are of age to marry and have children, one of your offspring may be perfect as a tamed beast choice. But that is many years away. You should be very careful about who chooses your offspring to tame.

Offspring will temporarily reduce your stats, but the provide you more boosts and enhancements than you realize. These will be unlocked in the future.

Oh, and mating will advance your XP by +30.]

A tiny noise diverts me from System’s information.

Lightning stands next to a glassy, shallow reflecting pool, staring at the reflection of the afternoon sun and the flowers fringing the water’s edge. Golden and orange rays bathe her so that she looks celestial.

My mate. This is my mate. Right underneath my nose all this time. I suppose it makes sense. After all, Kaline and Hans seem sweet on each other.

This is a part of the game I unlocked as a human.

* * * * *

HUMAN WORLD, W CITY, THE PAST

“What, we get to choose mates?”

Damon brushes back his black hair. “Yeah, it’s awesome. Although it was controversial at the time they proposed it.”

I wrinkle my nose. “Why?”

Damon growls. “Some people with too much time on their hands thought that you shouldn’t have animals mate in the game. First, it’s nature. Sort of. It’s all drawn from actual animal behavior. And second, there’s no onscreen mating–that’d be gross.”

I shudder at the thought. “It’s all cartoon style, right? Anime?”

“Right! It’s like all those cartoons where the animals kiss and little hearts appear. It’s family friendly. This is a family-friendly game.”

Sipping boba tea, I marvel at the idiocy of people who raise a stink without bothering to research what they’re complaining about. “Have these people online actually played Tanglewood?”

“NO. And neither have some of the journalists, so-called academics, and ’concerned parents.’” Damon puts air quotes around the last two words. “If you’re that concerned, do what our parents did and play the game yourself.”

I snicker. “Dad got his beast to Level Three before it somehow fell in a bog and got eliminated, then reset back to Level One.”

Damon is barely holding it together. “Mom got to Level Three and then quit. I think she enjoyed the game too much, but she’d never admit it.”

“At least our parents did their research. Unlike those other parents.”

We share a warm laugh. Our parents would never let us do anything without knowing at least a little bit about it. Of course, a little knowledge can be dangerous, like my dad trying to explain a TikTok he saw or telling me about online scams that a ten-year-old wouldn’t fall for.

Softening, Damon says, “I know they drive you up the wall, but they care. You should give them a break, maybe.”

Where did that come from? And it’s not even the first time he’s said it.

“Yeah…” I rub my eyes.

“Don’t rub your eyes.”

I drop my hands. “Okay, DAD.”

“I’ve had to tell you for years,” he goes on, channeling Dad in that ultra-annoying way. “Dad and Mom have told you. You have to look after your health.”

“Okay, okay. After my exams. Hey, back to the subject at hand. Do I get to mate with another tiger or do we get interspecies hybrids?”

Distracted, he nods. “Yeah, and that’s going to make those ’concerned parents’ mad, even though nature has been creating hybrids like ligers forever. But your best bet is another tiger, because the next beast will gain more strength and all the attributes of the species. You can even pick your mate in the game or let the game pick it for you. Kind of like life.”

“I’m not good at real life mate picking, just ask Amber. Maybe I should let the game roll the dice and see what happens.”

* * * * *

In the present, a splash of water breaks my reverie and I yowl. [LIGHTNING.] The cold water doesn’t dampen the urge I feel. Or Lightning’s sweet scent.

I’m done for. I need to mate. I need to be with her. Whatever our two families say. That doesn’t matter to me. All I know is that I need Lightning.

[Sorry, but you were a statue.]

There’s vulnerability in her gaze. We’ve just survived another battle, and before that, we all almost lost Gussie. Lightning and Gussie are BFFs.

I rub up against her. [I was thinking.]

[Too much.]

She melts. She becomes soft for me. My heart is crying out for her. Hammering in my ears. I nuzzle her, and lick her, and lightly nip her. Little hearts flood the scene. WOW. That actually happens outside of cartoons? Maybe I’m just hallucinating because I’m so happy.

We are getting close to a “fade to black” or “dissolve” moment.

[Lightning, if we can be serious for a moment…]

She purrs. [I thought we were serious.]

[This isn’t just the mate drive talking. I really like you. We’ve fought together, laughed together, danced together. We’ve faced danger together. Our tamers might marry someday.]

Lightning huffs. [That’s no secret. The Young Master has asked Master Lamant for the Young Miss’s hand in marriage. My Young Master knows what he wants. And she likes him.]

[Very much.]

[So, our two houses will be joined someday.] Lightning curls around me, her soft fur proving harder to resist than anything. [Our humans know that we are off together and not one of them has swooped in to prevent it or separate us. Even Maartenwitz is absent.]

[Lightning…]

[Yes?]

[Talking about Maartenwitz ruins the mood right now.]

[Oh. Yes. Right. Let’s not. Let’s find a nice hidden spot in this garden.]

Fade to black!

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