Ch 122. Apex Beastkin

I peered at the small shin-high mousekin with interest, albeit less interest than Belle was showing.

"Why are catkin interested in these?" Asking our young guide who seemed to think Belle's reaction was nothing special.

"They're prey to them, you don't think all the beastkin get along with each other do you? It's in their nature to hunt or be hunted. Most folk don't know but they all have a social hierarchy of their own, mostly determined by what type of beast they most resemble, the predator species are at the top... while these ones here are at the bottom. Not much weaker than a mouse after all."

Nodding as if it made sense, the beast kingdoms weren't like our society at all from what I knew. It was more a law of the jungle there. Even if we called them kingdoms, the 'king' was simply the strongest reigning beast in a given territory.

Taking a moment to study Belle as she shook her tail mesmerizingly. The girl now pawing at the edge of the micegirl cage, rattling it each time and scaring the inhabitants half to death.

"Say, I've a question about my beastkin and I don't know anyone better to ask about it. Is it typical for them to have so keen a memory? As in picture perfect memorization ability, her senses are all quite good in general too. I know that beastkin have enhanced senses in general but sometimes it seems a bit much."

The youth's eyes lit up a bit more after hearing my story, looking now like he wanted to speak.

"Can't tell for sure, but sounds like you've got yourself a hunter. That's what they call them." Appraising Belle with a new sense of appreciation.

"Just like it sounds, they're gifted for one thing. Hunting. Most of the time that ends up as them hunting us, not terribly uncommon in the catkins, just like all the apex predator species out there, 'bout one every hundred I'd reckon, but mostly in the males, it's a bit rarer to see it in a female one like this."

"Master!" Belle barked abruptly, with intensity to her voice. "This one. I want this one." Drool dripping down her chin as she spoke while her ears twitched excitedly. Her words sending the caged mice shivering back in fear.

All of the mousekin looked a bit fat if I had to say, but the one she picked was clearly the largest and fattest of the bunch, looking more like a rotund doll than an actual living creature.

Frowning a bit at her words, I glanced down at the mousegirl shivering in the cage under her.

"Belle, I'm not going to buy something just so you can kill it." My words clearly distressing her.

"Master, please." Looking at me with the biggest kitty eyes she could manage. "You promised..." Her tail drooping sadly.

I did owe Belle a favor, two really, but looking at the chubby mousekin girl so fearful while trying to hide under its own dress, I simply couldn't subject it to a fate like that.

"No harming it. No eating it. No killing it. If we buy it, it's your responsibility. Do you promise?"

Belle nodded happily, pleased I had given her what she wanted, "Belle promises. Belle take good care of mousey." Purring with innocent anticipation.

"I'm holding you to that, you know? No harming it."

Turning to our guide and motioning that we wanted to make a purchase, seeing from the sign that each of them were only fifty-silver it was a relatively trivial purchase. The sallow youth acted with practiced precision, fishing out the one we wanted from the crowded cage before handing it off to Belle. Seeing how pleased he was, there was almost certainly some sort of commission on the sale.

"Anywhere else you'd like to see? Oh yes, catkins was it?" Leading the way with something of a spring in his step.

I was fairly sure I wouldn't be making any other purchases, but I didn't have the heart to tell him.

Following along, our group passed by an iron structure with a door thicker than my arm. Large scratch marks indented in the metal along with the smell of blood.

"Werebeasts," was all he had to say. The male beastkins were large, aggressive, and generally unsocializable. Permanently hostile and constantly thinking of killing their captors. Their sale was illegal in the country, owing mostly to how dangerous they were, but Tom let me in on a secret.

These ones here were destined for the coliseum, that's why they were allowed to keep them here. Looking at the scars on the door, I was a little curious how it would be to fight such a beast.

Our group meandered to the next tent before long, the one housing catkins. Belle who was now holding her prize, the mini mousekin girl, like it was some sort of stuffed animal, stepping excitedly through the entrance with the doll-like creature nestled snugly between her chest.

"Look Master... they look like Belle." Belle noted while pointing out the obvious. Pointing rudely to each of the cages like they were an exhibit from a zoo. But unlike the reactions of the mice, these ones stood tall looking fiercely back at Belle, a hint of disgust in their eyes. If it weren't for the bars separating us, I figured they would attack immediately.

These were supposed to be for sale? Looking at our guide for explanation, who gave a defeated look.

"Catkin are a bit trickier to deal with, especially the ones we just recently acquired. Very strong willed. Suppose I don't need to tell you that though. Tough nuts to crack, only the most docile of them are useable for domestic stock. The rest we sell over to foreigners or use in the coliseum. Most don't bend to a master, they think of humans as all inferior, and physically speaking they'd be right."

Hearing those words, it seems that Belle of all people was the most upset. She didn't like the idea that they were looking down on us, and looking down on me in particular. Frowning at the hostile stares from her own species.

"Don't look down on master. Master strong! Stronger than any of you!" Her tail standing up as if she were ready for a fight as she defended me.

One of the catkins in the back of the cage rose to the front, short messy hair, and a shallow scar from a blade that split across her face, looking somewhat fresh. The rest of the captives parted out of the way as if they respected her, or feared her.

"Leave us little nyaa. We all see how you shake your tail willingly for your master, for as long as we live none of us would do the same. If that means we die... then so be it. Proud catkin would die of shame for having to serve such weak bodied humans." Speaking oddly fluently for a beastkin. Most of the time they weren't fluent in human tongue, and even now Belle struggled with it, having been raised in human society.

"Who is that one? The other slaves seem to respect it." I couldn't help but ask to our guide, curious that a slave would dare speak so arrogantly from such a precarious situation.

"That right there is a hunter."