Andrian's friends, much to my relief, seemed happy to have me join them. Andrian had laughed off Vargas' question about coming to find me without actually denying it. I could tell they all wanted to ask a dozen questions about us, but Andrian quickly changed the subject by asking how everyone was doing. They seemed a little disappointed by the shift in topic, but they went along with it and started answering him one by one. It was a relief for me, as I was a little uncomfortable being the center of their attention, and it gave me a chance to learn a bit about them.

Food and drinks were soon brought to us and I was quickly distracted by the steaming plates of fried food being placed in front of me. Before I could fill a plate, Andrian's friends insisted that we have a drink with them first, but that turned into many drinks while my stomach was still empty. Soon I had consumed more alcohol than I was used to, which wasn't very much to begin with, and my head was starting to feel fuzzy. The others seemed perfectly normal, despite each of them drinking two cups to my one.

I turned away from my glass, which was constantly being refilled, and focused on the food in front of me. Along with fried meats and breaded fried vegetables, there were a myriad of condiments to choose from and ample piles of flatbread, fresh off the grill. I took some of the fried meat and wrapped it in flatbread, then dipped it in a smooth creamy sauce that was seasoned with hot peppers. As the food hit my stomach, my head cleared and I felt like I was ready for another drink.

The food of the Beastlands was still new and exciting to me, full of flavors I’d never tasted before. I’d spent a good part of my life living off of meals that consisted mostly of the leftovers that no one else wanted. The chefs of the Golden Palace allowed me to eat meals that were both delicious and elegant, but they couldn’t compare to the simple but flavorful food in front of me. It wasn’t refined or elegant at all, and I felt like that was part of what made it so good.

Throughout the meal, the conversation naturally turned back to how Andrian and I had been reunited when he came to Vrayna, which all of them seemed to just call Humanland. It seemed an apt enough term that I felt no need to try to correct them. With the alcohol flowing, one tends to become a little more loose in the tongue and Andrian was soon telling them the story of what had happened in the Palace. His friends were a rapt audience and were shocked to discover my full identity.

"Wait," Gregor piped up, "so this guy is the son of the bastard who started the whole damn war?" He looked at me incredulously as I nodded that I was.

"And your mother was his first target?" Willow asked.

"So you saw it all?" Vargas chimed in as well. "And you can prove it wasn't one of us?"

The questions kept coming, one after another, until I felt like my head was spinning. I was grateful that they didn't seem to blame me, but their interest was a bit overwhelming. Andrian did most of the talking, sharing what he knew to be true and glossing over anything he thought I wouldn't want them to know.

After all the food was gone and they’d emptied more pitchers of beer and wine than I could count, we paid our tab and left the tavern for the streets. From there, we began following a series of alleys and streets until we were on the outskirts of the village. It was late into the night now and the moon was high in the sky. Though the lights lining the streets were still lit, there were far fewer people out and about, making it feel like our group’s voices were all the louder as we wandered the empty streets.

Everyone but me seemed to know where we were heading, as the destination was never discussed. I found myself getting swept away in the fun atmosphere and didn’t think to question it, simply following along wherever they led me. We reached the outskirts of the village and headed into the dark surrounding jungle. Liquid courage, combined with the knowledge that I was with six well trained soldiers who were experienced in fighting monsters, left me feeling safe enough to follow them without concern.

After walking for a short time, we came to a larger clearing with a river running through it. The beastmen all flopped down by the water and I realized we were at our destination. From his bag, Thalton pulled out a round bottle filled with liquid and stopped with a cork.

“Since it’s a special occasion,” Thalton said with a laugh as the beastmen roared their approval of whatever was in that bottle. He pulled the cork out of the bottle and took a gulp before handing it off so it could be passed around, “Whatcha think human, you wanna try some real alcohol? You'll never find something like this back in Humanland.”

The way he said ‘real alcohol’ made me a little nervous. Hadn’t we already been drinking real alcohol at the tavern? I immediately looked to Andrian to get his thoughts.

Thalton roared with laughter, “Haha! Are you seriously asking for permission?”

“No, he’s not,” Andrian answered flatly, which only made Thalton laugh harder. Thalton’s face was already turning red as he laughed so hard he could barely stay on his feet. Seeing him so heavily affected by so little consumption answered my question well enough anyway. Whatever that stuff was, it was probably too much for me to handle.

The bottle was passed around and I declined to partake. Andrian took a gulp of the mysterious liquid and his eyes seemed to glaze over almost immediately. With a mischievous smile he suddenly pulled me in for a kiss. As our tongue intertwined, I tasted the alcohol straight out of his mouth. Even though I hadn't actually drunk any, my head was swimming and I felt a faint burning sensation in my mouth and throat. A full sip might have knocked me out cold. As it was, I felt a heat creeping up my chest and I leaned into Andrian with a vacant smile on my face.

“Ugh, gross,” Willow muttered. “No one told me I’d have to watch him being all lovey dovey. Andrian! That face is disgusting. Get rid of it!”

Everyone laughed at her remarks and eventually Willow joined the laughter. When she’d said it was gross, I was worried for a moment that she was offended by our kiss. I was instantly relieved when I discovered that wasn’t the case. Well, I suppose it was the case, but not for the reasons I had feared.

“She’s not wrong, though,” Orion added, his usual reticence cancelled out by the alcohol, “that face you just made is the most horrifying thing I’ve ever seen. Worse than that monster with all the legs.”

Everyone started bickering from there but it was all good natured. As they hurled insults at each other and joked about Andrian’s face, I felt comfortable and content, although that might have been the residual effects of the alcohol.

Their jokes escalated until they left the riverbank to fight it out in their lion forms in the open area nearby. Only Gregor remained by the river with me to watch as the other five roared and tackled each other. If I hadn’t known better, it would have looked like a fight for their lives. But I recognized the playful body language I’d seen many times in my childhood. To me, it was clear they were just having fun.

“You don’t have to worry,” Gregor told me as I watched them, “they’ll all be careful not to hurt each other.”

“I know,” I answered him, my throat feeling surprisingly clear after the lingering burning sensation had subsided. I was amazed by the strength of the liquor that I’d only tasted, not drunk. “This is play.”

“Ha, I’m surprised you can tell,” Gregor responded, sounding amused. “You’re really not like most the humans I’ve seen before.”

“Andri... when I knew him... only lion,” I explained, “Look like that… when we played.”

“That’s what I mean. I haven’t met many humans, but the ones I did meet were scared of us,” Gregor told me as he laid on his back and gazed up at the stars, “Whether they were trying to kill us or thank us for feeding them, they reeked of fear. You look like you’d faint at the first sight of blood, but you ain’t the least bit scared.”

I pondered his response for a moment before asking, “Then before… why you think… kidnapped?”

Gregor roared with laughter, “How could I not? Anyone who’s heard the story thought Andrian was completely insane, in one way or another. And not a single one of us ever expected him to come back here with you like this. We figured you ran away from him back then. Some people even thought you were some kind of psychosis fueled by living in isolation and didn’t actually exist.”

I’d had a vague idea but Andrian seemed to avoid talking about these things. If I asked him a direct question, he would usually answer, but except for that one night in Shelfort, Andrian rarely brought up what happened during the time we were apart. Since I had the opportunity, I decided to take it and said, “Know little… Andri… didn’t tell much…” I looked down at Gregor’s form, which I couldn’t really see very well in the dark. “You tell?”

“Oh that’s hilarious,” Gregor chuckled, “I bet he didn’t want to tell you all his dirty secrets. He’s probably desperate to look good in front of you.” He sat back up. “Well, the six of us met when we were all sent to the eastern front. We were all from different villages but we were grouped together for sparring practice and became friends almost immediately. From what I know, our army and your army have different rules. We respect and obey our superiors, and their word is law on the battlefield, but even in training, we have the freedom to do as we please when we aren't on duty. So most recruits would work hard all day and play hard all night. Andrian was different. He’d join us for drinks and was friendly and all that, but he always went home alone at the end of the night. He didn’t seem to have any interest in mating and was super strict about his training.”

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t happy when I heard he’d shown no interest in mating. Wouldn’t that mean that, even when we were so far apart, that he was still thinking of me? Andrian had told me as much, but it was different to hear it from someone else. I was grateful for the cover of darkness because I couldn’t help but smile.

“About six moon cycles ago, our general was killed by a group of trolls that caught us by surprise and Andrian was appointed as the new general. That crazy asshole was king of the battlefield in the east and all the higher ups like him, but we never thought that they’d take his application for general seriously,” Gregor looked out at Andrian and the others, still fighting in the field. “We didn’t hear from him for a while, but soon the cat tribes were called home and Andrian reappeared spouting some nonsense about a human he needed to find. Honestly, I figured either you were a figment of his imagination or you had run away from the obsessive lion who was trying to claim you. Think about it, you were a human who used to visit frequently and suddenly stopped coming right after he bonded to you. Plus, that was at the same time all that other shit was happening.”

“But still… Andri never… would ne--" The temporary relief I’d felt in my throat was gone and my voice cracked before I could finish my thoughts.

“Wouldn’t never what? Kidnap you? Are you sure about that? Haven't you ever considered what might have happened had you refused him?” He correctly guessed what I was trying to say and hit me with a question I wasn't prepared to answer. While I struggled to come up with a response, he continued, “I can see why you wouldn’t think that way, given how soft he is with you, but it wouldn’t have surprised any of us, considering how obsessed he acted about it but… well, I’ve heard bonding is pretty damn intense. I kinda get it, but he was damn scary for a while there. Dragging you back here against your will didn’t seem too far-fetched. I can’t believe he kept that much crazy under wraps for so many years.” Gregor shook his head and added, "But I was mostly joking about the kidnapping."

Gregor made it sound like a bad thing, but I was touched that Andrian was willing to go so far for me. After all, I hadn’t run away from him, I was taken. I was grateful he worked so hard to be able to come find me. If I was honest, I liked the idea of him being obsessed with me. It meant I wouldn't be cast aside someday.

“You’re as crazy as he is, aren’t you?” Gregor suddenly asked, "I can tell you're happy to hear all that. Most people would run for the hills but you're feeling all warm and fuzzy about your stalker boy."

“If... going to… run... why tell?” I asked slowly. Was he trying to get rid of me?

“Because I’m honest when I’m drunk and I thought you should know, I guess,” he shrugged and answered honestly. “You’re the one who asked me anyway. But if you’re both happy then good enough, ya?” He laughed loudly again and asked, “You sure you don’t want to have a proper drink? You can let loose with us.”

I considered it for a moment and said, “Okay.” If it knocked me out, Andrian would make sure I made it back to the inn, and the idea of 'letting loose' intrigued me. I didn't think I'd ever done anything like that before.

“Oi!” Gregor shouted to the others, “Round Two!”

At his words, five lions suddenly became five beastmen and returned to the riverbank. They were all out of breath and looking pleased with themselves, especially Thalton, who seemed to have been the most consistent victor. Andrian plopped down next to me and laid his head on my lap.

"Hey," he said with a lazy smile.

"Hi," I replied, running a hand through his hair.

The bottle was passed around again but this time, when it was offered to me, I took it and sniffed. Even the scent was potent. Beneath the astringent odor that hit me right away, there was a unique and sweet scent that I couldn’t quite describe.

“It’s made from fermented honey and the dew of mellyn blossoms. I got this bottle as a present from my parents when I got promoted and I’ve been saving it,” Thalton explained as I sniffed, seeing that I was considering trying it. “Since it’s your first time, don’t drink more than a tiny mouthful. The mellyn blossom causes something called mana intoxication, which can be a little overwhelming at first, but it’s not dangerous. It’ll just feel like your senses are heightened and stuff like that.”

I took a tiny sip and almost choked on it, but I somehow managed to swallow. I could feel it burning its way down my esophagus and into my stomach. Once my mouth had recovered from the shock, I could taste a sweet and mild floral flavor, reminiscent of sugared violets, which I had tasted at the engagement banquet.

As the burn reached my stomach, I felt the heat radiate through my body, causing me to flush from the top of my head to the tips of my toes. My body tingled all over and the night suddenly seemed brighter and more vibrant. I could see my surroundings clearly and realized how similar this was to when Estra had me open my third eye. I felt energized. I felt alive.

I instantly understood why they’d all gone to wrestle and fight earlier, because I was possessed by a similar desire. I felt like the entire jungle was asking me to use it as my playground. I looked at Andrian and looked over at the open space where the lions had been battling. Andrian followed my eyes and seemed to know what I was thinking.

“You get to the count of ten,” he said. I grinned at him before jumping to my feet and dashing off to find myself a position I could defend from.

Someone asked what I was doing, but I was busy running and Andrian was busy counting, so they didn't get an answer. When Andrian reached his ten count, he was already bounding after me in his lion form and going for the tackle. I dodged his first attack and continued to defend, trying to gain some sort of advantage. Distantly, I was aware of shouting in the background that sounded like Andrian’s friends cheering me on, but I was too busy dodging and countering the big lion in front of me to pay much attention.

Inevitably, I found myself pinned on the ground. Despite my best efforts, I was still smaller, weaker, and lacking in stamina, whereas Andrian had spent the last few years on the battlefield. Just like when we were at our old playground, I didn’t stand a chance against him in this kind of competition. I ended up lying prone on the grass, with my limbs pinned down by Andrian’s enormous paws. He shifted back into his human form and released me, flopping on his back next to me.

“What the hell was that?” Vargas called out, sounding indignant. “How did that human do better against you than me?!”

Andrian laughed as he sat up and answered, “He’s still got more wins than me at this point. He was my first great opponent on the battlefield.”

“I challenge you!” Vargas shouted at me. "He was going easy on you but I won't!" His wild eyes shone in the moonlight and he grinned at me. "Or is the little human scared?"

I was stunned by his challenge for a moment. In the back of my mind, a distant voice told me that this was something I should really be afraid of, but the atmosphere and the alcohol let me push such thoughts away. I silently accepted by standing up and taking a defensive stance. Vargas looked pleased, turned into a lion and attacked.

I quickly realized that Vargas was a smaller lion than Andrian, so I was at less of a disadvantage against him. He also wasn't used to fighting smaller opponents with humanoid forms. I was able to dodge and duck most of his attacks and wiggle out of his holds. I lasted much longer against Vargas than I did against Andrian, but I wasn't strong enough to take the offense and try to pin him. Our battle ended when my stamina ran out and I couldn't keep up with his attacks. Vargas was a graceful winner, much to my surprise, and offered to call it a draw.

After that, the others continued to wrestle and fight, while I was content to relax on the grass and watch. I was surprised to discover that I was actually enjoying myself. I was really glad that I could experience a night like this, being wild and free. It was just one more thing that Andrian had given me.

I thought about what Gregor had told me earlier. Hearing Andrian’s story from a third party had made me happier than I could have imagined. I was endlessly comforted by the knowledge that he’d worked so hard to find me. Andrian had been worried about what his friends would say to me, but the things I heard just made me love him even more. Through everything, I’d never actually been alone. There was always someone who refused to give up on me. The darkness was a little easier to bear this way. Besides, even if Andrian was obsessed and refused to let me out of his sight for the rest of my life, that would just mean that someone was always watching over me.

Finally, even the lions were tired out and we headed back to the village. We said our goodbyes and went back to the inn. I collapsed exhausted on the bed, only to discover that Andrian still felt like wrestling. I’d thought I was ready for sleep, but his kisses and gentle caresses revitalized me. It seemed I was also in the mood to wrestle more and pinned him on the bed. There was still a lot of night ahead of us, and by the time we let go of each other, the sun was beginning to rise.