Reo crouched low in the underbrush, his feline ears twitching at the sound of Serrandyl's voice drifting through the trees. He hadn't intended to eavesdrop, but when he'd spotted her from afar, muttering to herself in that determined way of hers, curiosity had taken hold.

Now here he sat—crouching within earshot of a conversation he wasn't meant to overhear.

Serrandyl paced near the edge of a pond, kicking rocks into the water. Her crimson mane swayed with every step. She seemed to be arguing with herself, as if debating something important.

"He is strong...and brave....a good fighter...But the man's thicker than a troll's skull sometimes!" She stopped and sighed loudly. " Uggh! Just ask already!!!"

With a huff, she kicked another rock angrily into the pond before marching away. "Stupid Thorsten. I know you want to play hard-to-get but not like this! Uggggh!!"

Reo stared dumbstruck at the empty space where she'd stood moments ago.

She was talking about Thorsten. Again.

How could Serrandyl—fierce, proud Serrandyl—be interested in a human, of all things? Much less such an oafish lug as Thorsten. He couldn't picture the two together in any sort of romantic capacity. Then again, maybe he was only saying that because he secretly carried a torch for the female Beastkin himself.

Strong as the human warrior was, Thorsten could never understand Serrandyl like a Beastkin could. No, more than that—like Reo could. It should be someone like him—someone who understood her, who shared her blood, her instincts, her world.

Reo had watched her from afar for years, admired her strength, her wild beauty, the way she embodied the spirit of their tribe. She was everything a Beastkin should be, and more. But now, to hear her speak of courting Thorsten… It felt like a betrayal, as if she were turning her back on their heritage.

How could she possibly prefer a human over him? Why hadn't she expressed any interest in him? Did she not see how perfectly compatible they'd be? How well suited they were to each other?

Reo's jaw clenched. He couldn't let this happen. Thorsten wasn't right for her—he was just another human, another ignorant fool who couldn't hope to appreciate her properly. He couldn't let them become anything beyond mere comrades-in-arms.

If Serrandyl insisted on pursuing a human partner instead of choosing someone from her own kind...then it was time he stepped forward. It was his duty as a male to offer himself for her consideration. To protect her from the mistake of settling for less.

----------------------------------------

He followed Serrandyl silently through the forest, staying far enough away as to remain unseen but close enough so as not to lose sight of her among the trees. If there was one skill Reo excelled at above all others, it was stealth. A skill that served him well today.

She seemed preoccupied, distracted even, as though lost in thought. Her footsteps fell heavy and deliberate upon the leaves littering the forest floor. Even her tail twitched less frequently than normal. He kept pace easily with her despite this.

Eventually, the trail ended at a small stream tumbling over mossy rocks. Serrandyl knelt at the edge of the water and splashed her face before stretching lazily along the bank.

Reo hid behind a tree and watched her from a distance. His eyes lingered upon her exposed skin and toned muscles—the smooth lines of her arms, the curves of her thighs. He traced those lines with his eyes over and over again.

It took him a while to realize he hadn't moved in several minutes. Embarrassed by his own lack of focus, Reo blinked rapidly and refocused. Now wasn't the time to ogle her!

With a determined breath, Reo stepped out from the shadows, his tail flicking behind him as he approached her.

"You're really planning on courting that human?" he blurted out before he could stop himself.

Serrandyl jumped to her feet with a startled gasp, whirling to face him. Her claws were already drawn and ready for attack—until she realized who had interrupted her private moment. "Reo?! When the hell did you get here? Wait, did you follow me?!"

"Y-yes!" Reo answered quickly, taking a half step backwards. "Sorry—but I heard you talking...to yourself," he added hastily.

Serrandyl huffed in annoyance and crossed her arms. "Well? Why'd you sneak up on me? You made me nearly claw your damn face off."

"I didn't mean to startle you—I was just—" he hesitated, gathering his courage. "—just trying to understand why you would want to court Thorsten in the first place."

He didn't bother softening his words. He never did. It wasn't in his nature. The sooner she got angry at him for his directness, the better.

But Serrandyl only rolled her eyes and sat back down, resting her arms atop her knees and propping her chin on top. "Why wouldn't I? He's strong. Handsome. He makes me laugh," she ticked each quality off on her fingertips with each word. "What more do I need? Besides, what business is it of yours? Are you jealous or something?"

Reo flinched at her accusation, his ears flattening against his head. "I'm not jealous. I'm concerned. You're the daughter of the Pridelord, Serrandyl. You should be with someone from our tribe, someone who understands what it means to be Beastkin."

His words came out sharper than intended; sharper than he liked. But he couldn't keep the bitterness from creeping into his voice. She had rejected him once already when he'd expressed interest—why couldn't she see what a mistake this would be?

"And let me guess—you think that someone is you, right? Because we're friends? Because we grew up together?"

He could tell from the tone of her voice that she'd lost interest. That the conversation would end soon unless he said something different. Something to pique her attention and make her see reason.

"You haven't even given me a chance. Let me prove it to you, Serrandyl. Let me show you that I'm the better choice." The words left his mouth faster than he expected. But now that they were out, he couldn't take them back.

Serrandyl raised an eyebrow, her tail swishing lazily behind her. "Prove it, huh? How do you plan on doing that?"

Reo's mind raced as he searched for something, anything, that could sway her.

A challenge—a series of tests, like their ancestors would have done. Surely, if he could best her in these competitions, she would see him as a worthy mate. It was all but tradition!

"I'll win you over," he declared proudly. "We'll compete. Tests of strength, speed, and skill. If I win, you have to consider me as your mate and put Thorsten out of your mind. If I lose...well...then there's nothing more to say about any of this."

Serrandyl blinked at him, and for a moment, Reo thought she might laugh. But instead, she tilted her head to the side, considering his words. Then, much to his surprise, she nodded.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

"Fine. But if you lose—which you will—you'll forget everything and leave this stupid idea alone. Understood?" She extended her arm out towards him expectantly. "Do you promise?"

He hesitated a second, surprised by how easily she'd agreed to the competition. Was he ready for this? Could he really do it? He swallowed hard past the lump forming in his throat and clasped her forearm tightly. "I promise."

"So, what's the first round?" Serrandyl asked as they walked through the forest. Her arms folded behind her head, and she bounced energetically at his side. Despite her earlier moodiness, she seemed genuinely excited about these challenges. It had certainly lifted her spirits. Which only served to make Reo even more nervous about this whole endeavor. She wasn't taking him seriously.

It was the sort of careless confidence she always had when it came to her skills against his own, but he wished she would have shown at least a modicum of respect for his abilities.

"A race," he said, pointing towards the open meadow beyond the treeline. "To the old oak and back. Simple enough for even someone as distracted as you to focus on."

Serrandyl smirked, her tail whipping behind her playfully. "Alright. Let's do this. I won't go easy on you." With a grin, she dropped into a runner's stance. "Ready? Set! GO!"

Before he could reply, she darted off. Reo chased after her with an indignant squawk as they barreled toward the open field ahead.

----------------------------------------

The race to the old oak was just the beginning. As Serrandyl and Reo tore through the forest, their footfalls muffled by the thick carpet of pine needles, the thrill of competition surged through Serrandyl's veins. She relished the way the wind whipped against her face, how the trees blurred into streaks of green as she pushed herself faster and faster. But even in the heat of the race, there was a lightness in her heart—a sense of play that made her grin as she glanced over at Reo, who was straining with all his might to keep up.

Reo was quick, that much was certain, but Serrandyl had always prided herself on her agility. Her lithe body made it easy to dodge obstacles and dart nimbly along the forest floor. Still, Reo wasn't far behind; he seemed determined to win this competition no matter what. He never stopped to catch his breath or slow his pace. He just ran.

Serrandyl smiled despite herself at his eagerness, but the thought of letting him claim her affections as his prize made her skin crawl. She'd already spent enough time pining after Thorsten without throwing Reo into the mix as well. Her friend meant well, but he needed to realize how foolish this all was—how she couldn't possibly be attracted to him the same way she wanted Thorsten.

She forced those thoughts from her mind as she reached the oak tree, skidding to a halt in front of its trunk. Turning on her heel, she ran back towards the edge of the clearing where they had started, grinning at the sight of Reo gasping for breath. "And there we go—first round finished! Took you long enough though, huh? What was the final distance? A hundred steps? Maybe two?"

She crossed her arms across her chest as he bent over with his hands on his knees. "U-ugh...I...don't...know."

Serrandyl laughed at him. "What's next? Have you got some more challenges lined up for us?"

"Climbing," he panted between breaths. "We're climbing." He stood straight again. "Let me rest."

Serrandyl huffed a laugh. "Alright, alright." She went back to leaning against the tree. "Let me know when you've caught your breath."

It didn't take long before he'd caught his breath enough to point to an Ebon tree deeper in the forest. "This one. First one who reaches the top wins."

Serrandyl nodded. She spread her arms and flexed her fingers wide. "Are you ready for this? Do I need to go easy on you so you don't fall?"

Reo scoffed indignantly at the suggestion, puffing out his chest. "I will have you know that I could beat you at climbing even when we were kits. Don't underestimate me."

"We'll see about that."

----------------------------------------

Six challenges...six losses. Each more embarrassing than the last. But worst of all was the way Serrandyl would taunt him after each win. No matter how hard he tried or how far he pushed himself, she always seemed to stay one step ahead. His pride stung worse than any other blow—especially with the promise of her affections hanging over his head.

He hadn't considered the possibility that he might actually lose the whole thing. But here he sat, alone in the woods, staring at his tail while he picked leaves out of his hair.

How had this happened? Why couldn't he measure up? He had all the advantages! Size, strength, speed...so why did this keep happening?

He lost the race because of Serrandyl's damn distracting ass swaying in front of him. He lost in the climbing match for the same reason. Then he failed the swimming race because he'd been too focused on her shapely figure in the water. He nearly drowned.

It couldn't be helped. He wasn't able to concentrate around her like he was with other opponents. It didn't matter how many times she beat him; he always found himself ogling at her rather than focusing on the task at hand.

The remaining three challenges had come close, though. Hunting, target practice, even combat—but he lost every time. And the taunting seemed to increase after each successive loss, as if she couldn't believe how badly he'd done.

Now here he sat, sulking in defeat. His last chance to prove himself worthy of her love. And what a colossal failure that had been.

Serrandyl had gone off on her own shortly after claiming victory, leaving Reo alone with nothing but the trees and his own thoughts.

Reo sighed and flopped backwards into the soft moss beneath him. At least he could enjoy one last afternoon in the forest before returning to Ebonheim in utter shame. With luck, they'd never speak of this again.

A familiar voice suddenly broke the silence. "Well, well. If it isn't the loser himself."

Reo groaned aloud as he heard Raksha's footsteps approaching. "Go away," he grumbled. "I don't want your pity."

"Too bad." Raksha dropped onto the log next to him and rested her chin in her hands, leaning back lazily. "I'm here whether you want me or not."

Unlike Serrandyl who personified the brilliance and majesty of a roaring flame, Raksha carried with her the coolness and calmness of a full moon shining brightly in the dark night sky. Her hair was as black as her name implied. Her eyes shone with a silvery light. And while Serrandyl was bold and loud in her movements and personality, Raksha had a more reserved and thoughtful demeanor.

Despite their differences, the two had always been close friends. So when Raksha said she didn't want Reo's pity, he knew she meant it.

"How did you lose to her anyway? It's not like she's got a hundred years' experience on you."

Reo winced at the memory. "She's just...distracting."

Raksha snorted. "What—like her bouncing tits distracting? Or her swinging hips distracting?"

Reo swallowed hard. "Yes."

Her silver eyes widened in surprise. Then she smirked at him. "Well, that's what you get for letting your loins control your head. I thought you prided yourself on being the 'chosen one' and all that crap." She nudged his side with her elbow. "I've heard your monologuing before. How you're destined for great things, how no other male Beastkin could hope to match your prowess."

Her mouth twisted into an even bigger smirk. "And now you've gone and proved us all wrong by losing six matches in a row. I don't know whether to laugh or cry for you. On one hand—the arrogance! On another... well, you've set a low bar."

He huffed in annoyance, casting her an annoyed glance from the corner of his eye. "You don't have to rub it in. I already feel like a fool."

"Does that mean you've given up on her?" she asked bluntly.

Reo looked back down at the ground beneath him and didn't answer.

He did promise her to give this up if he lost, but...did that mean his own feelings for Serrandyl were gone as well? There was still a chance that Thorsten would reject her completely, giving him another opportunity, right?

He shook his head slowly. "I don't think I can."

"So stubborn..." she mumbled. He felt her tail curl around his own. "You never learn."

Reo blinked at the unexpected touch and instinctively tugged his tail free, avoiding her gaze. "It doesn't matter. Like you said before, you're not here to pity me."

"But I wanted to make sure you weren't about to do something stupid to try and win her back," she said with a sigh. "Like challenge Thorsten himself."

He scoffed at the thought. As if he could hope to defeat the warrior in battle. He'd witnessed firsthand how formidable he truly was during skirmishes. "I may be foolish sometimes, but I'm not suicidal. Thorsten would destroy me in combat. No contest."

"Exactly." She patted his head lightly. "Which is why I don't want you doing anything foolish or rash." She rose to her feet, brushing pine needles off her pants. "Besides, even if she rejected you outright...well... I'm sure there's someone who would want to be your mate. If you're interested."

The casualness of her tone caught him off guard, causing his head to snap up at her with surprise written across his face. "W-wait, really? Who?"

Raksha rolled her eyes playfully, stretching languidly and yawning before answering. "Oh, I don't know...maybe I could help you find one." She flicked a pine needle at his forehead with her tail before turning away to continue deeper into the forest. "Come along."